A Love Reborn
by PauL32489
Summary: Claire is trying to forget about the incident at the Antarctic facility but Chris and his comrades convince her to join them in their efforts to track down Wesker. But what if they encounter an old flame of Claire's on their next mission? Chapter 12 is up
1. The Nightmare

**Disclaimer-** I own nothing from Resident Evil. It is the rightful property of Capcom and I have no intention of profiting from this story.

Within the bowels of the Umbrella facility in Antarctica, Claire Redfield searched desperately for her friend, Steve Burnside, from whom she was separated missing after their attempted escape. She had been through so much after she went searching for her brother and ended up captured. Long story short, it was a whole new nightmare.

It wasn't long until she found herself in a gloomy corridor. There was a nearby door with bars with a card key reader inserted on the side. Claire had recently found a card key and decided to try it out. She approached the door and slid the key through the tiny slot. The card key reader beeped positively and clicked. A moment later, the iron bars blocking Claire's path slid upwards loudly, opening into a dark, shadow covered hallway lined with fierce looking statues of knights. Claire's spine shivered at their appearance but her mind was focused on finding Steve.

She walked down the hallway, looking left and right at the statues she passed, and when she finally looked straight ahead, she felt her heart in her throat.

"Steve!" She cried.

At the other end of the hall was Steve Burnside. He sat bound to a chair by straps on the arm rests and what appeared to be an enormous axe set across his chest. He wasn't moving. Claire rushed over to him.

"Claire...?" Steve said weakly.

There was a switch on the wall next to Steve. Claire pressed it and the straps released Steve's aching arms, which slumped over the sides of the chair. Claire tried to push the axe off of him but it wouldn't budge.

"I can't do it," Claire said as she struggled to move the axe. "Who did this to you?"

Steve looked at Claire, his eyes looked tired.

"That crazy woman," Steve began, his voice strained. "She told me…she was going to perform the same the same experiment on me…that she did to her father."

Claire's eyes widened. Steve was of course referring to Alexia, head of the Ashford family and another member of a long line of psychos Claire had met in her life.

"She's completely insane…" Steve said.

Suddenly, Steve began to twitch and spasm. He clutched his chest and groaned in pain as he began to transform. Claire held him by the shoulders.

"What is it?" Claire said. "What's wrong?"

Steve's arms began to flail wildly, inadvertently pushing Claire away with such force that she nearly lost her footing.

"Claire….help…me." Steve groaned his voice somehow grew deeper, not human…but monster.

His skin started to pale into a shade of murky green and formed what appeared to be scales. His shoulders sprouted large, curved spikes as big as a man's arm. His eyes turned deep red and catlike. And most of all, he was growing rapidly, almost double Claire's height. The creature clutched the axe and stood up, snarling in a deep, rumbling voice like that of a wild animal.

"Steve!" Claire cried as she stared at the monster that had once been Steve Burnside. "No!"

Claire's world went to black…

…and she found herself staring at the French vanilla painted ceiling of her college dorm room.

She sat up quickly, sweating and her heart pounding like a drum beneath her night gown.

She scanned her room with wide, frightened eyes. Long seconds dragged by until she realized she wasn't at the Antarctic base…but in her dorm. She was safe...but not free. Not free of the pain or the memories.

Sighing deeply, Claire flopped back onto her pillow, allowing her body to relax as she replayed the horrible memory in her head again and again, as she did many times before in the past.

"Why does it keep coming back?" She mumbled, clutching her head in grief and frustration.

It had been two long, grueling months since Claire and her brother Chris had escaped from the Antarctic facility...and Wesker. Albert Wesker.

Claire felt her blood boil just thinking about that monstrous madman.

His dark, foreboding image appeared in her mind. His deep, callous voice. His slicked back blonde hair. His glowing, red eyes. He had been responsible for so much she actually found it hard not to think about him. She hated him, not just for nearly killing Chris back at the facility but for the fact he had captured Steve and stated he would be used...as a guinea pig in one of his disgusting experiments.

Claire felt another rush of hatred surge over her like a network of cables channeling every negative emotion in her brain.

"That sick bastard!" She hissed softly.

Her deep thinking was cut off by a soft murmur on the opposite side of the room. Claire turned her head to gaze at her roommate. Gwen Hadley, age twenty, slept peacefully, curled up in her bed. Claire sighed, remembering how much they had bonded since they met when Claire first arrived. Of course they had their natural quarrels once in a while they were still friends.

Of course, Gwen knew Claire was related to Chris Redfield but she never told her anything of her encounters with Umbrellas creations in the past.

Umbrella itself was no where near as powerful as it once was, due to the Raccoon City incident, which spelt the very downfall of the evil corporation. And with Rockfort Island, Sheena Island and the Antarctic facility destroyed, most of Umbrella's illegitimate operations had been destroyed. This, along with the deaths of so many research and security personnel from each disaster, Umbrella was left with little to no chance of ever regaining its lost work and returning to power.

In short, Umbrella was all but finished. But all of the destruction it left in its wake was far from repaired. And Wesker was still at large.

Not long after the destruction of Rockfort, Chris and fellow S.T.A.R.S. members, Jill Valentine and Barry Burton, along with former RPD Officer, Leon Kennedy had begun an underground search for Wesker to ensure his schemes would not prevail. They knew he was as dangerous as ever and he also had some nefarious plot up his sleeve.

Claire however chose to stay out of the whole affair and focus on her normal life. It wasn't that she was selfish but simply that she decided she had been through one crisis too many and after losing Steve, her grief had easily reached the point where it couldn't be ignored.

Claire pulled her blanket over her. As she lay silently in bed, the memory again came flushing into her mind.

She could still remember Steve's final moments. She could still remember Alexia fatally wounding him. But she could especially still remember his final words.

_"I'm glad that I met you...I.....I love you...Claire"_

Just thinking about those three words made her heart shiver. She knew Steve was attracted to her once they had met...but she had little idea he felt _that_ way towards her and once she knew it was already over.

But what really bothered her was a fact she knew and reminded herself of over and over again: She also loved him.

She could feel it in her heart and her mind. Sure he was reckless and immature but he was so kind and thoughtful.....but then another unremovable memory rushed into her mind, fueled by Weskers words.

_"Maybe he'll come back alive just as I did. And be able to see your sister again."_

Just thinking of that statement made her flesh shiver. Wesker was a clever one. There was no telling what he would do next. But if by some hypothetical chance, Steve _did_ come back...would she still love him...even after he had been turned into one of Weskers Frankenstins?

Sighing deeply and unable to answer her own question, Claire went back to sleep, dreading anymore nightmares she would experience before morning.


	2. Determination

**Disclaimer note-** I do not own Resident Evil or any of its characters. It is the rightful property of Capcom and I have no intention of profiting from this story. It is merely an effort to improve my skills as a writer and determine that people like my ideas.

**Authors note-** Due to the unexpected number of reviews, I shall be making more chapters and this story may reach as many as 20. I should be finished with this story in about 3-4 months, depending on what free time I have, as long as the reviews keep coming in. Anyone who enjoys this story and knows anyone else interested in ClairexSteve, I would love it if you would recommend this story to them.

In his apartment, Chris sat at his desk, his eyes glued to a computer screen as he scrolled down on Leon's recent dig up of information. The screens light illuminated his face, giving it a slight blue glow.

His eyes showed he was tired but his determination held him back from his bed which was placed right beside his desk.

"_Another hour then it's time to hit the hay."_

Though he knew it was unhealthy, Chris had labored day and night with his efforts to find Wesker ever since he and Claire escaped the Antarctic facility after defeating Alexia Ashford.

For the past two weeks, Chris and his comrades, former S.T.A.R.S. members Jill Valentine and Barry Burton had been scrounging up as much information as they could on any leftover Umbrella movements. Leon S. Kennedy, a former officer of the RPD had joined them about a month before the Rockfort Island incident.

Unfortunately for them, Wesker was a slippery one. He _never_ stayed in one place for long and with his own private military, the HCF at his side he had plenty of underlings to carry out his plots whenever he pleased.

"_So why won't he just cause another spill?"_

The question, though horrible to think about, was compelling. In the time since their last encounter, Chris knew that Wesker had more than enough to cause any sort of mayhem he wished. He _did_ have the T-Veronica virus at his disposal and was likely developing new B.O.W.s after thoroughly studying it.

What if he was simply biding his time? What if he suspected Chris was hunting for him? What if this? What if that?

So many questions but no answer available. It made Chris ache inside with frustration.

There came a knock at the door that was so sudden it made Chris jump. He turned in the direction of sound.

"Come in," Chris said panting a little.

The door opened and a young woman, dressed in a blue bathrobe stepped inside. She had medium length brown hair and promising icy blue eyes, or at least they would look promising if she wasn't so tired.

"Chris, it's almost mid-night," The woman said softly, placing her hands on her hips. "How much longer are you gonna be up?"

Chris sighed briskly and shook her head.

"Jill, you know how important this is."

Jill Valentine stared at Chris and breathed out, exasperated. She understood Chris's determination, in fact she respected it greatly, but not at the expense of a good night's sleep to keep him energized.

"Yes, I know," Jill said with her voice signifying fatigue. "I want to find Wesker as much as you do but working yourself to death isn't the answer, Chris."

Chris sighed again, realizing Jill had a point. She had warned Chris several times not to obsess over it too much; otherwise it would isolate him from those he cared about and that he certainly didn't want.

Jill herself was more than happy to join Chris in his search for Wesker as soon as he contacted her after the Rockfort Island incident.

About a month ago, Chris and Jill had moved into an apartment in Los Angeles, their own little headquarters. It was quiet but comfortable and with Jill as a roommate, Chris found the time he had been looking for to get close to her.

"Okay, just give me a few more minutes," Chris said, trying to suppress a yawn.

"All right. Good night, Chris," Jill replied as she left the room.

"Good night, Jill," Chris replied just before Jill shut the door behind her.

Chris switched his gaze back to his laptop and finally finished reviewing Leon's report before switching off the computer. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes before dressing into his robe, getting ready for bed.

As he dressed he couldn't help but give himself a mental kick for his lack of appreciation for Jill's concern. True she was serious but very kind once one got to know here and he knew her quite well. Though there was no romance in their relationship, at least not yet as he sometimes hoped for, they had a strong mutual respect and relied on one another immensely.

Barry Burton and Leon Kennedy were also eager to lend a hand. Once Barry made sure his family was safe, he kept in touch with Chris at all times, acting as something of a father figure to him. Leon on the other hand moved from place to place, digging up information from any unusual event he could find.

"Good to have friends," Chris muttered to himself with a smirk as he climbed into bed.

He flopped his head down on his pillow, still too deep in thought to go to sleep right away.

His thoughts drifted to Chris' last encounter with Wesker and his last words to him after aforesaid encounter.

"_Until we meet again…"_

Chris knew Wesker was far from finished. He _knew_ they would meet again.

But what really troubled him was what he said earlier…..about Steve Burnside. The unfortunate fried of Claire's was obviously close to her and it truly was a shame Chris never got to meet him.

But what Wesker said about him gave Chris the chills.

"_Maybe he'll come back alive, just as I did. And be able to see your sister again."_

Chris tried to the shake the thought out but his love for his younger sibling reminded him it was indeed a threat.

Not long after escaping the Antarctic facility, Claire had told Chris she had enough of Umbrella. Had enough of fighting for her life against monsters. Had enough of watching people die.

She returned to college to return to a normal life. While Chris respected her choice, he really was disappointed. He expected so much from Claire after everything he taught her. She proved herself a formidable fighter who could certainly handle herself, which she had already proved twice and yet despite her reliability, she chose not to get involved anymore.

"_She is getting older now and she has to start looking after herself. I can't look after her forever."_

Sighing again and feeling his head start to ache with so many negative thoughts, Chris shut his eyes and went to sleep.


	3. Loneliness and Reluctance

**Authors note:** Sorry for the long wait. Had a lot of school work to take care of and depression to deal with. Enjoy.

Claire sat silently at her desk in Biology class, half-listening to her instructors lecture and half-listening to her thoughts. She gripped her pencil tightly as she jotted down notes, becoming frustrated with her obsession over her past.

"_Stop thinking about it. Just stop. There's nothing you can do about it."_

It wasn't the first time her past experiences had distracted her from her school work. Her academic performance had gone down and she had been thinking about dropping out but a part of her said that was foolish.

"_Then what am I supposed to do?"_

She sighed quietly and held her forehead, trying her best not to lose track of her work.

Once class was finally over, she stayed in her seat while the other students got up and left. She waited a few moments before finally gathering her things and heading for the door.

"Claire," Her instructor said behind her desk.

Claire turned her head and looked at Mrs. Blight, her 32 year old instructor. She had grey eyes behind eye glasses and rusty brown hair. She looked concerned.

"Yes?" Claire replied softly.

"You haven't been keeping up with your work very well," Mrs. Blight said softly but seriously. "If you can't stay on schedule, you may have to redo the class."

Claire sighed, inwardly cursing herself for slacking off so much.

"I'm sorry," She began. "I've been through a lot of problems. Family. Depression."

Mrs. Blight nodded in understanding.

"I see," She said. "But you can't be this way for the entire semester. You're a bright kid and I know you have a bright future ahead of you but you'll never get it if you don't focus on your work."

Claire paused for a moment and breathed out through her nose.

"I understand," Claire said before checking her watch. "I've got to go. I'll see you next week."

Without looking back, Claire left the classroom and walked quickly down the hall, eager to get back to her dorm room and get something to eat. She passed a few chatting students, paying no attention to them as she left the building and began her long walk back to the dormitory.

Once again, she felt the horrible memories gnawing at her head again. No matter how hard she tried, it just wouldn't go away.

She shook her head, groaning a little through clenched teeth as she kept walking, absently reaching the dorms parking lot and then stopped dead in her tracks when she saw a young couple making out in their car parked outside. They didn't notice Claire as she stood there.

Her imagination gave in as she pictured herself as the girl and the boy as Steve. The both of them sharing their hearts with one another. Entwined……..but it would never happen. It was something she felt she could not have in her life.

He heart ached and burned with envy and grief as she kept walking and entered the dorm, taking the elevator to the 5th floor.

"_It's not fair…"_

As she stepped out of the elevator, she began to cry softly, hiding her face from a few people walking by her in the hallway. She reached her room and entered, noticing that Gwen wasn't there but she didn't care. She shut the door behind her as she deliberately dropped her book bag on the floor, approached her bed and flopped down onto it, burying her face in her pillow as she wept.

"_Steve…..you were the only one for me…and your gone forever."_

As she cried she kept cursing her misfortunes. Feeling as if she had been cursed since the day she was born. She had barely turned twenty last week and already her life was miserable.

Her parents had both died while she was still in her teens. Chris had often been busy with work though he still helped her whenever he had the time. She had few friends aside from Gwen and her love life was non-existent due to her shyness and tendency to be a loner.

And when she finally met Steve, for the first time she felt her loneliness fade away. She felt as if she had finally found love and happiness…..but it was taken from her so quickly. And now she was as lonely as ever and feared it would be that way for the rest of her life.

And Steve himself was also seemingly consigned to a life of pain. He had lost his family, been enslaved by Umbrella and had his life ended before he even turned eighteen. And now…he was one of Weskers freakish experiments. For all Claire knew, Steve had already been turned into a mindless monster or simply discarded by Wesker after failing to find any use for the poor kid.

"It's not fair!" She muttered angrily, her voice muffled by her pillow.

The pain in her chest seemed to lessen as her tears tricked down her face and stained her pillow but she didn't get up, she just laid there motionlessly for a long time, inwardly praying that one day things would somehow get better, even if there was a small chance of that happening.

* * *

Dr. Alexis Murphy jogged down the metallic corridor, panting slightly with anxiety. A sealed dossier was in her hand. Along the way she passed by a few armed guards in uniform who ignored her completely but she could care less about them. She knew how impatient her boss was and that displeasing him was simply _not_ an option.

Dr. Murphy was a thin, brunette haired woman in her late 20's. She had watery blue eyes and wireframe eyeglasses.

_"I graduate from Arizona University with a PhD. in genetic engineering and this is what I get....."_

She continued her quick stroll down the corridor and stopped just outside her supervisors office. She swallowed hard, feeling her heart pick up a little as she stood outside the door.

"Well...here we go," She said softly, breathing deeply.

She pressed the call box button on the wall beside the door with a slightly trembling finger.

"Sir, it's Dr. Murphy," She said as calmly as she could. "I have the results for Subject C-2."

There was a pause.

"Enter," A deep, calm voice said from the call box.

The door hissed briefly and slid upwards into a well lit but foreboding room. She stepped inside and the door closed behind her. Along the metal walls were shelves laden with books of various scientific fields, especially virology. On the far side of the room there was a smooth, black oak desk with a top of the line, flat screen computer on it. There was a man sitting behind the desk in a leather, office chair. Only the top of his head was visible above the computer screen, showing slicked back blonde hair.

Dr. Murphy felt her nerves quiver as she stepped into the room and approached the desk. Her supervisor was gazing at his computer screen, not initially bothering to look at the frightened doctor.

"Your late," The man said, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I...I'm sorry sir," Dr. Murphy said quickly, trying to hide her fear. "I've had difficulties with the new enhancements. The subject has been..."

"Enough," The man said, raising his hand and finally looking at Dr. Murphy, who silenced immediately.

The man was around his late thirties. His face was slender, slightly paled and as solid as ice, as if no human feeling lived inside. His eyes were hidden by a pair of sunglasses.

"Just give me the results," The man said, gesturing at Murphy to hand over the dossier.

"Yes, Mr. Wesker," Dr. Murphy said with a quick nod as she handed the dossier to her boss.

Albert Wesker leaned back in his chair, which creaked softly, as he opened the dossier and unsheathed a few papers from it. He flipped through them slowly, showing no sign of satisfaction or displeasement on his face, making Dr. Murphy even more nervous and again, her past came rushing into her head, reminding her of how she had gotten into this situation.

Ever since she graduated with her doctorates, she had been eager to join Umbrella as a biologist. Her brilliance and dedication to science served her well and impressed her peers greatly. However, once she was promoted to head scientist of one of Umbrellas smaller research labs, she made a frightening discovery: The T-Virus.

Although fascinated by the virus' capabilities and characteristics, the idea of using it to turn people and animals into horrible monsters frightened her. She never expected any of it when she joined Umbrella. But by the time she realized her mistake, it was too late. About a month after the T-Virus outbreak in Raccoon City, she had decided to abandon her career.....but when one of Umbrellas agents approached her and showed her a dossier containing information on the location of her home...and family.....she realized she was trapped.

Helpless and distraught, she continued her work without question, deathly afraid of losing her husband and infant son. Eventually, she was recruited by one of Weskers men and placed in charge of BOW research and development at his secret base.

As much as she hated it and as much as she was terrified of Wesker, she did her job.

Finally, Wesker nodded and grinned slightly as he finished reading the papers and looked at Dr. Murphy.

"Very good," Wesker said, leaning forward again. "It seems you've outdone yourself, doctor. Subject C-2 is ready."

"Th...thank you sir," Dr. Murphy said, exhaling through her nose and feeling less afraid.

"I originally expected you to be a disappointment to me but now I think your usefulness is showing," Wesker continued, simultaneously showing disdain and reliance for Murphy.

"Yes sir," Dr. Murphy replied, flushing slightly.

"Now then," Wesker said, changing his tone. "It is time to accelerate our plans. I want you to ready the BOWs and await further notice, Doctor."

Dr. Murphy nodded and turned to leave but just before she reached the door...

"Doctor," Wesker said.

Dr. Murphy froze and turned.

"Yes...sir?"

"Make sure that Subject C-2 is well cared for," Wesker said in a warning voice. "I want to make sure that _his_ old friend lives long enough to see his face one last time."

Dr. Murphy paused, realizing what he meant, and nodded before she finally left the room and exhaled heavily, wiping sweat from her forehead. She stood still outside the door for a few moments.

"Poor kid..." She said softly before returning to her lab.


	4. News in Nevada

**Authors note-** Sorry for the late update. Unavoidable delay due to computer problems. I promise to update faster from now on. Enjoy, the good part is coming soon.

It was midday in the far southern edge of Clark County, Nevada. The arid desert stretched out for miles around with no life save the pale green cactuses and sparse patches of dried shrubs. The harsh sun shined bright in the sky, scorching the landscape with temperatures exceeding 100° F.

There was a mediocre gas station on the side of one of the roads stretching across the desert. Inside, a slovenly, overweight man sat behind a desk, relishing behind a small fan, trying to relieve himself of the unbearable heat. His face and shirt were covered in sweat, giving off a foul smell.

"I hate my job," The man muttered in a manner that suggested he had said it every day of his life.

There was nobody else at the station. It was out in the middle of nowhere and the nearest sort of establishment was over ten miles away. The job was as boring as it was lonely.

It was close to late noon and customers didn't come often at that time of day. Fortunately, closing time wasn't far off. The attendant checked his watch and sighed in relief.

"Thirty minutes and I'm home free," He said, leaning his head back in his chair.

"_Ding-ding"_

The front doors jingle bell rang. The attendant lifted his head and saw a young, athletically built man with red hair step into the station. He was dressed in a shady way. His attire consisted of a black short sleeve shirt with boots, trousers and sunglasses to match.

The young man approached the desk, his walk as casual as an everyday bystander.

"Can I help you?" The attendant asked, eying the man carefully.

"I'll take a pack of Marlboro lights," The young man replied, his voice an ominous monotone.

Nodding slowly and slightly unnerved, the attended turned around to the cigarette rack…..and that was it.

The young man's arm suddenly rippled and shook. Then, with a sharp, scraping sound….and the young man's fingers split apart and from out of the torn flaps of skin came five, razor sharp claws, each the size of a banana.

Hearing the strange sound, the gas attendant instinctively reached for a .38 caliber revolver hidden beneath the cigarette rack, spun around and gasped in horror at the five shining claws poking from the man's fingertips. All on instinct, the attendant fired a single round into the young man's chest.

The man barely staggered as the bullet entered his torso. In fact, he smiled as he raised his clawed hand and brought it down onto the attendants head. In a split second, it was over as the attendant's body went limp as the claws neatly dug into his skull and carved his brain like a stake.

The young man retracted his clawed hand and the attendant collapsed to the floor, a gruesome spray of blood erupted from his cloven head and stained the counter.

The young man was completely indifferent. There was no regret, no remorse, nothing but an empty blank stare in his eyes hidden behind the sunglasses that suddenly emitted a soft, whirring sound as a tiny screen appeared on the smooth surface of the right eye glass. A camera.

* * *

Watching the monitor in the survelience room, Wesker grinned with delight as subject C-2 finished demonstrating his new abilities. Dr. Murphy sat in a chair facing the monitors beside her boss, a look of pity on her face for the innocent attendant subject C-2 had just murdered under Wesker's orders.

"Well done, Steve," Wesker said smoothly with a sickly smile on his face. "I'd say he's ready. His regenerative capabilities will render any convential weapon useless. That attendant was a mere toy compared to what is coming this way and even they will be no match for him."

Dr. Murphy looked at Wesker with uneasy eyes and studied his expression, seeing nothing but malevolent anticipation and confidence in what she created. Or rather, what he _forced_ her to create. Still, it wouldn't hurt to make a small suggestion or at least a harmless warning.

"But sir, the S.T.A.R.S. have pulled off impressive records against some of Umbrellas greatest BOWs," Murphy said. "Even the Nemesis was ultimately defeated by..."

Wesker suddenly slammed his open hand onto the camera control panel with a loud thud. Dr. Murphy jumped in her seat, her eyes widening.

"The Nemesis was an _insect_ compared to subject C-2!" Wesker hissed fiercely, his grin curved into a scowl. "The S.T.A.R.S. cannot win against him. We've tested him through every kind of convential weapon and the results are clear: Subject C-2 is invincible!"

Dr. Murphy nodded quickly, inwardly cursing herself for daring to question Wesker.

Wesker took his hand off the control panel and breathed out.

"Have subject C-2 return to base," Wesker ordered calmly. "He's had enough practice and we've surely drawn enough attention."

Dr. Murphy nodded again as she typed at the control panel. Through the eye glass monitor, Steve Burnsides vision turned about and headed out of the gas station as calmly and smoothly as an everyday pedestrian.

Murphy looked back at Wesker as he left the survelience room without looking back and she sighed with relief, feeling safer. She looked back at the survelience camera of subject C-2 and shook her head in shame, knowing only too well it was her fault an innocent man had died for no good reason and another man had been turned into a mindless, monstrous killing machine at the control of a madman. And to sum it all up, there was _nothing_ she could do about it.

* * *

It was late noon in Los Angeles. The streets were jammed with traffic and people crowded the sidewalks, most of them returning home from work.

Chris had been out jogging around the block that his apartment was on. Taking advice from Jill, Chris jogged two to three miles a day, five days a week to stay in shape and relieve stress to keep his mind off of things.

Finishing his last mile, Chris panted slightly beneath his sweat covered shirt as he walked off the last one hundred feet to his apartment. He lumbered up the stoop and entered, passing by his fellow tenants.

During the ride up to the eighth floor in the elevator, he considered calling Claire to see how she was doing. He knew that she had been depressed for the past few months in the wake of Steve's death and decided to check on her to be on the safe side. Her college, the University of Colorado, was a good three hundred miles away from Los Angeles and he had only visited her a few times.

"_Sucks to have family living so far away."_

The elevator bell pinged and the doors opened. Chris walked out and turned left down the hallway to room 808. He unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Jill, I'm back," He called.

There was no answer but he heard the muffled running of water in the bathroom and realized Jill was taking a shower.

Shrugging, Chris walked into the kitchen to grab a water bottle from the fridge to relieve his dry throat and heaving lungs from a day of jogging. He chugged half the bottle down in one go so fast he had to catch his breath when he finished.

Then he heard the phone ring behind him and nearly dropped his water bottle in surprise. Breathing out, he walked over and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Chris," the caller said.

"Oh hey Brian, what's up?" Chris replied.

Brian Othic was a former RPD sergeant and one of the only two regular police officers in Raccoon to escape the city with Leon being the other.

Brian had known Chris for years. He was an excellent police officer and had lofty ambitions of joining S.T.A.R.S. before the T-Virus outbreak came along and shattered his dreams. Since then, he had recently reunited with Chris and joined his small but effective team in their efforts of finding Wesker and destroying what was left of Umbrella, calling it his "revenge".

"You're not going to believe this. I think I've found something good," Brian said with grand enthusiasm.

Chris cocked his brow slightly.

"What do you mean?" He asked. "Did you find a lead or is this another career goal you picked out?"

"You know what I mean," Brian chuckled. "I'm serious. I may have found a link to Wesker."

Chris' spine shivered slightly at the mention of his sworn enemy but that didn't numb his eagerness to hear Brian's report.

"Go on, I'm listening," Chris said, listening intently.

"Okay," Brian began, breathing in deeply. "About two weeks ago, a fair number of people have gone missing in the northern section of the Mojave Desert in Nevada, not far from Las Vegas. Nearly ten people have gone missing so far."

"Okay," Chris said with a nod.

"One person claims he saw some kind of monster in the desert not far from where the people began to disappear but, of course, nobody believed it," Brian continued. "I think there may be something up in Nevada."

Chris was silent for a few moments and was about to speak when he heard Jill exit the bathroom wrapped in a towel. She noticed Chris.

"Oh your back," Jill said.

"Hold on," Chris said before turning to Jill. "Jill, Brian is on the phone. He says he may have found something linked to Wesker."

Jill froze and looked uneasy for a moment but then nodded in understanding before going into her bedroom to get dressed. Chris turned his attention back to Brian.

"Go on," Chris said. "Anything else?"

"No, that's about it," Brian said. "But…there was something about a young man with red hair spotted wandering around the desert though."

Chris immediately stiffened, his eyes widening, realizing who the boy more than likely was.

"What?" He said as steadily as he could.

"Yeah," Brian said steadily. "I…I think it may be…"

"I know," Chris interrupted, suddenly sounding more serious than usual.

Brian said nothing more. Chris breathed in deeply, knowing what he had to do.

"Listen, Brian," Chris said softly. "You keep on digging for intel, find out what you can and email me. I'll inform the others, okay?"

"Okay," Brian said simply. "But…are you going to tell your sister about this?"

Chris was still and silent, initially unsure how to answer. And he decided not to.

"Goodbye, Brian," Chris said quickly and hung up.

He held his forehead and sighed, a million thoughts flowing through his head at once. He heard Jill leave her bedroom and turned to her as she approached.

"Did you hear the rest?" He asked.

"I heard some of it," She replied, still looking uneasy. "Especially about…..Steve."

Chris nodded slowly, regretfully acknowledging what had to be done. He looked at Jill and saw great concern in her eyes. She knew what he was thinking.

"I need to be alone for a few minutes, Jill," Chris said softly. "I need to think."

Jill stepped aside and let Chris walked past her to enter his bedroom but the look of worry on her face did not diminish.

"Chris," She said softly, almost in a motherly tone.

Chris stopped and turned around.

"Take it easy, okay?" Jill said, forcing a smile, hoping she could lift her roommate's spirits. "Everything is going to be all right."

Chris stared blankly at Jill for a moment and nodded to her before wandering into his room.

He slumped down onto his bed, holding his head in his hands, his frustration and concern growing ever so steadily and made his brain ache.

"How am I going to do this?" He muttered to himself, suddenly feeling another surge of sympathy and regret for his sister rush through him.

He had two simple options. Either he told her and convinced her to help them and possibly break her heart. Or, he could lie to her and ruin any chance they had of saving Steve, if that was possible.

He knew only too well that she had chosen to sit the whole thing out. But what if he could convince her to change her mind? What if he could tell her that she could still save the only boy she ever loved in her life?

It wouldn't be easy of course. She was stubborn and often true to her word but he had to try. He needed her help more than ever. She was too valuable an asset to be ignored, forgotten and cast away.

Plus, there was no telling what Wesker was up to. For all he knew, he could be stalking Claire while Chris and his comrades were out in the desert searching for leads. He could be watching her right now through her dorm window.

It was too risky to leave her out of the affair any longer. The time had come to take some serious action. He had made his decision.

Chris reached over for the phone on the table beside his bed and dialed Claire's dorm room number.


	5. The Decision

Claire was sitting at her desk in her dorm room. Her eyes were glued to her computer screen as she typed up her report. Her mind was only half-focused on her school work. The other half was focused on the loneliness the seemed to shroud her in invisible waves. That plus the loss of Steve as it kept replaying over and over again in her brain. She couldn't go by a day without thinking about him.

Again, probably for the thousandth time, Steve's final moments appeared in her mind, cutting off her focus to her school work.

She could still remember the warmth of his skin as she touched him. Could still remember the weak yet earnest look in his eyes as he uttered his final words and meant them from the bottom of his heart just before it gave out.

"_I…..I love you…Claire."_

Her memories were cut off when she heard the muffled voices of a young couple chatting and laughing outside her dorm room door. She felt another burning surge of envy and grief sweep over like a tide of boiling water.

"_Stop it!"_ She screamed at herself mentally.

She was finally jerked out of her thoughts when the phone rang beside her, startling her.

Claire curiously stared at the phone for a moment, wondering who would be calling her at this time of day. It was almost 7:00 PM. Regardless, she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Claire, it's me," The caller said.

Claire knew the voice by heart.

"Oh hey, Chris. What's going on?" Claire said, trying to sound more upbeat than she truly felt.

Chris said nothing for a few moments but Claire heard him breathe in deeply, as if he had something important to say.

"Chris, what's wrong?" Claire asked, her voice sounding concerned and yet intrigued somehow.

"Claire…I have some very important news," Chris said, his tone suddenly dead serious. "One of my contacts said he may have found a link to Wesker…..and to Steve."

In an instant, Claire's breath turned to glass in her throat. Her eyes went widened with disbelief at the mention of Steve's name, as if it had been shouted through a loudspeaker. She couldn't believe what her brother was saying to her.

"Wha…..what?" Claire said, nearly dropping the phone in shock.

"Claire. Listen to me," Chris said softly. "I know that you said you didn't want any part of the search, but I'm telling you this because I…"

Claire suddenly felt a rush of anger surge inside her like an electric generator. She could feel her heart and flesh burn but hardly noticed as she unleashed her emotion onto her brother.

"You're damn right I don't want any part of it!" Claire snapped loudly. "I've been through enough, Chris! Umbrella has interfered with my life long enough!"

"Claire calm down!" Chris said in an authoritative tone. "I understand all of that. I just want you to listen to me."

"NO!" Claire cried, nearly breaking down into tears, her heart hammering with anxiety. "You listen to me! All I wanted was to live a normal life and I don't want you dragging me into another nightmare!"

Then Claire finally set her cards down on the table for her brother to see. She didn't care what he would say, she had to tell him how she truly felt. She had to tell him what Steve meant to her.

"Even though………………I loved him."

Chris was dead silent and so was she. For a few moments, neither of them uttered a sound. Chris may have half-expected such an answer but when he heard it from the horses mouth, it actually took him by surprise.

"So that's how it was?" Chris asked softly in a surprised but understanding tone. "You fell in love with him? I though he was just.....a friend."

"Yes…" Claire said, more relaxed but unable to hold back her tears.

Chris could hear Claire sobbing softly and sighed remorsefully, cursing himself for inflicting such grief onto his own sister.

"Claire, please don't cry," Chris said. "Please, I understand how you felt for Steve and I'm sorry. But now you might have a chance to save him."

Claire sniffed and looked puzzled for a moment.

"What do you mean?" She asked in a shaky voice. "You mean…..he's still alive?"

"He may be," Chris said, deciding to tell Claire the full story. "My contact told me there have been reports of a young man with red hair wandering the desert outside Las Vegas not long ago. That plus there have been cases of missing people _and_ reported sightings of strange monsters in the desert."

Claire listened closely to Chris' explanation, nodding slowly as he spoke.

"So…..we can find Steve…and rescue him?" Claire asked, her tone finally expressing hope.

"We don't know for sure yet," Chris said. "But there must be a chance that we can save him and wouldn't you do anything to take it? Besides, this could be a one in a lifetime opportunity to stop Wesker and end Umbrella once and for all."

Claire sighed deeply, unsure how to respond. She knew her brother had a point and he was correct, she would have given _anything_ to see Steve one last time.

"So Claire," Chris said. "I'm going to ask you. Are you in, or are you out?"

Claire paused, knowing Chris had placed a huge decision right into her lap. A decision that could change her life forever. She weighed her options quickly but carefully.

She could either stay at school like a selfish coward where it was safe and sound while her brother and his comrades risked their lives in Nevada.

Or she could try to save the only man she ever fell in love with in her entire life and put an end to the evil plots of a lunatic and the remnants of Umbrella.

She made her choice in just a few moments.

"Yes," She said simply. "I'm in."

"All right" Chris said calmly, preparing his instructions. "Then listen carefully."

* * *

In his apartment bedroom in central Los Angeles, Leon S. Kennedy was busy packing his stuff for his trip to Nevada. Though he knew that Chris would have called him eventually with a new report, he didn't expect him to be so hasty. It had only been less than two hours since Chris' long awaited phone call and Leon was already in a hurry to prepare himself. He was actually quite excited to finally have another mission to take part in.

It had been a few months since he escaped Raccoon City with Claire Redfield. Afterwards, he managed to transfer to the LAPD to support himself, though of course he was forced to keep his secret of surviving Raccoon from them. He was lucky enough to establish contact with Chris and he was more than eager to join his team in their fight against Umbrella. Since then, life had been something of a chore: Digging up any information on Umbrella when possible. That plus he had been busy with work and excercising to ready himself for new missions.

He carefully packed his duffel bag with extra clothing and cans of non-perishable food just to be on the safe side, though he half-expected he wouldn't need it anyway. It was dark outside his window but he decided to pack his things before getting going to bed so he would be more ready to catch the morning train to Nevada and meet up with his comrades.

Barry Burton and Rebecca Chambers, both of them stationed in Colorado, had also called Leon for a quick, over the phone discussion of their meeting place in Nevada as instructed by Chris, which he carefully jotted down on a piece of paper that lay on his bedside table. True, it was surprising how quick they had decided when and where to meet but Leon knew they had to be quick to take down Wesker as soon as they found a lead.

He finished stuffing his duffel bag, zipped it shut and set it beside his bed.

_"There. I'm all set."_

Leon gazed at his alarm clock and saw that it was 8:30 PM. Deciding to go to bed early, he dressed into his night clothes and quickly climbed into bed. He reached over and shut off his lamp as he lay down, hoping his eagerness wouldn't keep him awake for too long.

_"This is it Leon. Your first mission. Your first chance to help take down Umbrella......and avenge Ada."_

Leon sighed heavily as the young, Asian woman's image entered his mind and felt his heart choke with remorse. It was not the first time either he had thought about her.

He could still remember the night they first met in the ruins of Raccoon City, how they worked together.....and how she risked her life to save his...and how it broke his heart. Her death had haunted him ever since then to no end.

Leon was, quite frankly, too ambitious and hard working to have time for dating nowadays. True, he had girlfriends and relationships in the past before discovering his dream of becoming a cop.....but Ada was something else. Not for a while had he fallen in love with someone.....but now she was gone forever.

As far as he knew, there weren't any other girls out there for him. Claire and Rebecca were quite attractive, he had to admit, but they were a bit young for him and Jill seemed happy with Chris, even though they had yet to form an actual relationship.

"Of all the rotten luck," Leon mumbled angrily to himself.

Sighing again, Leon shut his eyes and cleared his mind of any negative thoughts before he eventually drifted off to sleep, dully wondering what was in store for him and his comrades in Nevada.

* * *

Dr. Murphy was in her laboratory doing a final survey of Subject C-2. After checking his vitals one last time, she concluded he was more ready than ever and decided to go to bed, knowing Wesker would be needing her tomorrow for certain.

All around her she had the most advanced research equipment, from test tubes, to microscopes to monitors. But the most impressive of which was a super computer at the far left side of the room called the C.D.S.M (Central Data and System Module). Standing eight feet tall and weiging close to a ton, it contained all of the research records and files of the facilities BOWS, as well as maintaining most of the facilities electric and communication systems for superfast contact inside and outside. Without it, the entire facility would be little more than an unlit mine shaft with unpowered equipment.

Wesker had appointed Dr. Murphy the primary caretaker of the C.D.S.M. and warned her quite vividly not to "dissapoint" him, by which he of course meant screw up.

Trembling slightly at the thought of her boss, she pushed her glasses back to the bridge of her nose and prepared to leave the lab but not before looking back at Subject C-2 as he floated in his green gel filled biotube, unconcious and naked. She felt another surge of pity for the boy and inwardly cursed Wesker for his inhumane methods. True, she was no better for doing as he told her but only because of the given circumstances involving her loved ones.

Still, she couldn't supress her remorse for Steve Burnside and what Wesker had turned him into. But there was something she could do about it.....but knew that she couldn't.

In her spare time and under Wesker's orders, Dr. Murphy had been engineering a special type of serum for some of Wesker's most potent BOWs. The serum acted as a neurological enhancer that, when injected into a T-Virus host, improved the stability of brain cells while under the influence of the T-Virus, allowing the subject to retain his or her memory to a certain degree. The serum was difficult to make but she had enough of it for Wesker's most powerful BOW's.....but not for Subject C-2.

Wesker had already decided the serum would not be given to Subject C-2, knowing only too well his memory would hinder his performance and destroy any allegience towards Wesker himself. Plus Wesker was no idiot. He could tell Claire had feelings for the boy and vice versa. The serum would ruin everything.

But that was just it, Murphy would like nothing more than to free the poor kid from Wesker and reunite him with those he cared about. But unless she wanted her loved ones delivered to her in pieces, she could do no such thing and Wesker knew it. He even warned her subtly about it earlier. His grasp on the haplass doctor was too strong for her to rebel.

_"I want to do what is right.....but I can't without sacrificing those whom I love."_

Sighing again helplessly, Dr. Murphy turned away from Subject C-2's biotube and left the lab without looking back again.

**Authors note-** Initially I was going to have a love triangle with Claire, Steve and Leon but I have another idea in store for you guys so don't despair.


	6. Meeting in the Desert

As instructed by her brother, Claire had boarded the first train traveling to Los Vegas at the train station not far from her the University of Colorado. She had plenty of time to pack a few things into a brown duffel bag for the trip though she doubted that she would need any extra clothes.

The two hour train ride would take her across the southern section of Utah and she would get off at Harrington Station in southern Nevada not far from Las Vegas. Once there, she would meet up with Chris and Jill.

She somehow mustered the courage to step onto the train and sit down and once the train started moving, she knew there was no turning back.

As she sat nervously in her train seat surrounded by many passengers, Claire passed most of the time reading a book but her mind was still half-focused on the mission and the possibility of seeing Steve…..or what used to be Steve.

The very thought of encountering Steve as a monster made her tremble and the fact that the only way to be sure if there was any humanity left in him was coming right at her made her feel even more uneasy.

Judging from what Chris said, a former RPD officer named Brian Othic had been stationed in Las Vegas and had heard word of people disappearing in the desert and one witness claiming the sight of strange monsters as well. Another witness had claimed to see a young man with red hair wandering the desert at night just a few days ago.

Claire put two and two together and knew the young man had to be Steve. Plus this could be the opportunity Chris had been waiting for to take down Wesker and end his reign of terror once and for all.

She had spent so much time thinking about it she nearly missed her stop at Harrington Station. She hurried off the train and stepped onto the cement platform established on the outskirts of Southern Las Vegas. The scanned her surroundings and saw mountains to the East and vast desert to the West.

"This is it," She muttered to herself, a hint of eagerness in her voice.

Hoisting her bag over her shoulder, Claire descended the plated stairs and stepped down onto the ground. She scanned the area around her and saw Chris and Jill waiting patiently for her near an intersection not far down the road adjacent to the train station.

Breathing in briskly, she walked down the sidewalk and called out to them.

"Hey guys."

Chris and Jill turned and they both smiled at Claire. Without a word, Chris approached Clair and clapped her on the shoulder.

"I'm so glad you came," Chris said proudly.

"I had to," Claire said simply. "There was no way I could abandon him."

Chris nodded slowly before checking his watch.

"Its 2:30," He said. "Barry and Rebecca should be here soon."

"What about Leon?" Claire asked curiously. "You said he and Brian would meet up with us too."

"Their going to meet us on the highway in the desert to the south," Chris replied. "I figured it would be better not to travel as one group to be on the safe side."

Claire nodded but Jill smirked and put her hands on her hips.

"I think your being a little suspicious, Chris," Jill said. "Do you really think Wesker has spies set all over Nevada?"

Chris looked at Jill. His face was humorless.

"What would you rather have me do?" Chris asked sternly. "Grab a megaphone and start shouting Wesker's name?"

Jill sighed briskly and shook her head. She could tell that Chris had really started to lose his sense of humor over the past few months. Claire felt a little tensed by her brothers seriousness but she understood only too well that he wanted the operation to go as smoothly as possible.

The three of them waited at the corner of the block not far from the train station until a black 1996 Ford Explorer swerved around the corner down the street and pulled up in front of them. The drivers side window rolled down and Barry Burton smiled as his comrades while Rebbecca Chambers sitting in the backseat with a laptop and waved at the others.

"Good to see you guys," Barry said smiling.

"Glad to see you two could make it," Chris said with a half-smile. "We'd better get going. We don't want to keep Leon and Brian waiting for too long."

Chris approached the trunk of the car to set his bag inside. There were other bags and some boxes in the trunk, apparently bearing supplies. Chris climbed into the passenger seat while Claire and Jill sat in the back with Rebbecca as Barry drove down the road and took a left turn onto a busy highway leading to the south, bound of Leon and Brians location.

* * *

Leon sat in the passenger seat of an olive green, 1997 Jeep Wrangler parked on the side of a side road linking off from the highway. It was inactive and quiet outside and few cars passed by since it was further into the desert. Brian Othic sat next to Leon behind the wheel, reading a newspaper. High above in the clear blue sky, the sun shined burning 105 degree light onto the jeep. Fortunately Brian kept the air conditioner on full blast, for which they had plenty of gasoline to spare and still drive to their destination once Chris and the others arrived.

Leon was actually bitter at first. The second he arrived in Nevada from an hour long train ride, the blistering heat had made Los Angeles look like Antarctica and Brian had run late to pick him up. The heat had begun to take a toll on him, his face and short sleeved shirt were soaked with sweat. Additionally, he didn't have much to keep himself occupied until the others showed up.

"I should have brought a book with me," Leon muttered with his arms crossed impatiently. "I didn't think it would take this long."

Brian chuckled and looked at Leon.

"Kid you gotta learn patience. We've been waiting out here for only twenty minutes," Brian said.

Leon didn't respond. We just kept himself busy with wondering what was waiting out in the desert for him and his comrades. He was too eager to wait for too long but he couldn't help being such an upstart.

But it all ended when he spotted a black SUV driving up the road in his side view mirror and he breathed out in relief.

"Finally," Leon said. "There they are."

Brian folded up his newspaper and threw it into the back seat as he stepped out of the jeep with Leon following him.

The SUV carrying the rest of the team pulled over behind the jeep and the occupants all stepped out. Chris approached Brian and Leon while Barry and Rebbecca unloaded the supplies from the trunk. Claire stuck close to the SUV as she surveyed the long stretch of desert.

"You guys are late," Leon said to Chris.

"Better late than never," Chris replied before briefly scanning his surroundings.

The desert around the team was empty and desolate save a few sparse patches of dried, pale brown plants and cacti rising up from the rough, hot sand. Toe the East stood rocky, barren mountains.

Brian smirked at Chris before turning his attention to Barry as he unloaded a large, green crate, opened it and fished out a Colt M4A1 Carbine, which he checked and loaded carefully.

"Don't get too eager, Barry," Brian said jokingly.

Barry ignored the light hearted Brian as he prepared the rest of the teams armament as they assembled around the trunk to arm themselves.

Barry was naturally the backbone of the team and was responsible for supplying weapons. He had collected two Cold M4A1 carbines for himself and Chris and three MP5A3's for the girls. Brian had brought his own weapon personally: A Mossberg 500 pump actions shotgun. Additionally, each person carried a Beretta M92F handgun, a walkie-talkie to stay in touch and a few bottles of water to stay hydrated in the scorching desert. They had plenty of ammunition though it was impossible to tell if they would need all of it but judging from Weskers tendency to strike when least expected with everything he had, they could be in for the long haul.

Claire hadn't held a gun for a long time but for some reason, she felt safer as she loaded it carefully and held it in her hands. She felt as if now nothing could harm her.

After gearing up and checking their equipment, Chris cocked his rifle and looked out at the patch of desert where the reports had been placed. The desert stretched out for a few hundred yards and stopped at the foot of a large hill that stretched for at least a mile in both directions.

Chris turned to the others and whistled, catching their attention.

"All right, guys," He said. "This is it. Stay together, keep your eyes sharp for anything suspicious and don't wander off. Once we secure the area around the hill we fall back to the cars and move on to the next spot. Any questions?"

There were none. The mission was clear and the team was eager to get moving.

"Let's go," Chris said as he slung his rifle over his shoulder and head towards the hill.

They traveled in single file with Chris leading, followed by Barry, Jill, Brian, Claire and Rebbecca.

* * *

Unbeknown by the team, Wesker was watching them in his quarters. The man sat calmly in his seat, his eyes glued to a monitor hooked to one of the many hidden cameras around the area surrounding the hill to the West.

"That's it, Chris," Wesker said smugly. "Come to me."

Smiling, Wesker rotated his chair and looked over at Dr. Murphy who stood before his desk, awaiting orders.

"Dr. Murphy," Wesker said simply. "It is time. Release the Stingers."

Dr. Murphy nodded slowly and turned about, leaving Weskers quarters to carry out her task, leaving the madman alone to potentially revel in the death of his enemies. Soon they would be stung and torn apart by his creations and once his enemies were out of the picture, _nothing _would stand in his way. But if by some fluke the Stingers failed, then he would be more than happy to let Subject C-2 finish the job.


	7. Ambush

**Authors note-** Sorry for the long wait. I've been busy with school as of late. I estimate this story shall be finished by June 2010, then I'll be moving on to my next Resident Evil project. Enjoy.

The group had been hiking through the desert for only ten minutes and already Claire was starting to feel exhausted. The scorching heat of the sun triggered sweat beneath her T-Shirt that stuck to her back and began to chafe. Her MP5 felt slippery in her sweaty hands.

_"Makes me wish I was back in the car"_

She took another chug of water from her bottle but she felt a hand placed gently on her shoulder from behind. She turned her head and looked at Rebecca.

"Don't drink too much," Rebecca advised. "You might pass out if you drink too much in this heat."

Claire stared at the young medic for a moment and nodded slowly, putting away her canteen.

Claire didn't known Rebecca all that well but she wouldn't dare to neglect her advice, nor underestimate her intelligence. Rebecca was a borderline genius, having already graduated from college at eighteen. However she was a bit younger than Claire and wasn't as experienced in battle, being more suited for medical service and computer programming but she was strong enough to handle a weapon.

As for the muscle, Chris, Leon and especially Barry were well suited for combat. Jill was more or less the scout of the team while Brian took care of weapon maintinence and demolition, as he carried a few C4 charges and additional grenades for clearing any possible obstacles. Claire herself was little more than an extra gun but she didn't mind, she would do anything to help her comrades and potentially rescue Steve.

The team had travelled about a hundred yards away from the cars when Chris suddenly raised his hand, signalling the others to stop. They all looked around warily.

"What is it, Chris?" Barry whispered.

"I thought I heard something," Chris replied, scanning the desert with cautious eyes.

Claire looked left and right, her hands gripped around her weapon as he heart began to pick up. She looked ahead of the line and saw her brother take a few steps forward away from the team, trying to locate the source of whatever it was he heard.

Chris heard the sound again, a thick chattering sound, like nails dropped on wood. It sounded like...claws. Claws opening and closing, emitting thick clicking sounds. The sound grew louder and Chris briefly spotted some slender and black at the top of a small, sandy ridge to the left only twenty meters away.

"Over there!" Chris called, pointing towards the ridge.

Claire felt her tremble and race as she and rest of the team trained their weapons on the ridge as the sound grew louder, and louder...and the first Stinger came into view.

Claires eyes widened. It was the first B.O.W. she had seen in two months and it was just as fierce looking as any other she encountered in the past.

It was a scorpion but abnormally large. About three feet tall and six feet long. Its thick, segemented body was smooth and black as pitch, supported by six slender legs. Its pincers were broad and serated on the inside and at the end of its thick, curled tail was a curved stinger the size of a banana, dripping with deadly venom.

The Stinger raised its claws and emitted a garbled series of clicking and chattering noises, and the rapid walking noises of more Stingers filled the air as another appeared beside the first one. Another two crawled into view on the opposite ridge to the right. Four of them in total.

"Everyone back up!" Chris called waving his hand frantically. "Don't let them get close and stay together!"

"Get ready to fire!" Barry added, not a glint of fear on his bearded face.

The team spread out into a crooked line formation as they backtracked a few feet as the Stingers clambered down the ridges and slowly but steadily advanced towards the team, their tails pointed forward in ready position. The creatures were only sixty feet away when Chris gave the order.

"Open fire!" He shouted.

The team opened up and sprayed the Stingers with bullets. The first two creatures let out ear piercing shrieks of agony as Chris and Leon released a storm of gunfire that tore into them, thick, green fluid squirting from multiple holes. Barry brought down the other while Claire managed to bring down the last one with a few bursts from her MP5 that shattered the head of her target and she suddenly felt proud of herself.

It was over in just a few moments and the Stingers lay dead against the hot sand in pools of their crude blood. The team reloaded their weapons and waited. It was very quiet for a few seconds and they all looked somewhat amused.

"Is this is all Wesker can throw at us?" Leon scoffed.

Claire actually felt relieved that the danger had passed so soon and without too much effort. She was about to say something when she heard the sound of shifting snad and felt something jagged brush against her buttock. She spun and saw a stinger claw poking out from the ground, the sand shaking in the space it occupied. She backed away quickly

"Behind us! Theres more of them!" Claire cried as the stinger dug itself out from its burrow and chattered viciously at her.

The rest of the team spun as three more Stingers rose up from the sand and advanced. The closest one, only ten feet away swung its stinger at Rebecca and knocked her MP5 right out of her hands. Rebecca yelped and fell backwards as the stinger opened its claws, ready to tear her to shreds but Leon saved the medics life with a quick spray of fire from his M16 and the stinger shrieked and fell. The other two nearly reached the team but were stopped dead in their tracks by Jill and Claire at the last moment.

Realizing they had let their guard down, the team immediately formed into a circle and scanned the desert for anymore Stingers. Long seconds dragged by until Chris declared it was clear.

"That was too close," Rebecca said, wiping sweat from her forehead as Leon helped her up.

The battle had been won with not a scratch on the team but Rebecca's MP5 had been damaged so she switched to her handgun. The team had already spent nearly a third of their ammunition and they knew that the Stingers were only the beginning.

Claire relaxed and checked her weapon. She couldn't believe how close she was to the Stinger before she promptly emptied the rest of her first clip into it. It could have killed her in a heartbeat but she was still alive somehow. She couldn't tell if it had been luck or skill but now wasn't the time to think about it. She turned her attention back to the others as they calmed and awaited Chris' orders.

"What now, Chris?" Brian asked as he cocked his shotgun.

"Well we know that this is the spot," Chris said, pointing out the obvious. "And I think its safe to say that Wesker sent those things to attack us."

"But how the hell did he know we were here?" Jill asked curiously.

Chris shrugged with uncertainty as he scanned the area, knowing Wesker must have had the area under survelience.

"He must have cameras hidden around us but we can't waste time finding them," Chris said. "Those things came from beneath us...so there must be some kind of facility underground."

The team all acknowledged Chris' deduction. It made sense since the creatures had came from below them and left behind several open holes from which they dug out of.

"But how do we get down there?" Leon asked jokingly. "Don't suppose you guys brought any shovels with you."

There was a brief series of half-hearted laughter but Chris wasn't amused. He fixed his gaze on one of the Stinger holes and approached it. He peered down at the inky blackness below and saw the hole was slanted and metallic inside. The rest of the team gathered around the hole. Barry shined his flashlight into the small tunnel and saw it trail about twenty feet diagonally and lead downwards.

"We could go down that way but there might be more of them down there," Barry said cautiously as he turned off his flashlight.

"There's only one way to find out," Chris said as he picked up a rock and tossed it down the tunnel.

The team heard the stone echo as it banged hard against the metal. It rolled down the slanted tunnel and fell straight down and landed only a moment later. There was no other sound. It couldn't be too deep.

"Looks like we're going in this way," Barry said sighing.

* * *

Wesker breathed out heavily through his nose, a sour look of dissapointment on his face as the S.T.A.R.S. finished off the last of the Stingers on his monitor. He sat back in his chair and held his forehead in frustration.

"So you made it past the preliminary," Wesker muttered angrily. "But you won't make it past the semi-finals you bastards."

Wesker actually half-expected the intruders to defeat the Stingers but not without losing at least one of their members, prefferably Chris if Wesker was lucky enough. Instead his inadequate creations failed. If only they were a bit faster, they would have torn the S.T.A.R.S. to shreds before they knew what hit them.

Still, Wesker had plenty in store for the S.T.A.R.S. Subject C-2 was more than capable but why destroy the intruders outright when he could have so much fun with them first. Wesker's control panel could open, close and lock most of the doors in the facility. He could easily lead Chris and his team into a trap and slaughter them at his leisure. If things went smoothly enough, he probably wouldn't have to unleash subject C-2 at all.

"It'll be such a pleasing show," Wesker said softly, chuckling as a new plan swirled in his mind.

_"Mr. Wesker,"_ A garbled voice said over the intercom.

Wesker glared at the small speaker on his desk for rudely jerking him out of deep thought. He knew the voice immediately. It was gruff and male.

"Yes, captain. What is it?" Wesker said.

Captain James McCron was Weskers captain of the H.C.F. troops in the facility. McCron himself was a capable commander and Wesker figured he was worthy of being something of a second in command to him but he despised his barbaric tendencies. The man was always too eager for battle, never stopping to strategize. As much of a fool that he was, McCron's loyalty, if one could call it that, was without question.

"Sir, the troops are armed and ready to go. Should we move to the surface and attack, sir?" McCron asked.

Wesker sighed and inwardly cursed the captains recklessness.

"No, captain," Wesker said sternly. "I want you and your men to stay put and await further instructions. I don't want to let my creations go to waste."

"But...sir.....the Stingers...they were," McCron stuttered.

Wesker sat up in his chair and narrowed his eyes in annoyance.

"I saw what happened, captain!" Wesker spat. "But if you think I'm going to let you spoil everything, you can think again. Now, stand down and await my orders or you may just find yourself in a biotube beside subject C-2."

There was a long pause. Weskers threat had struck McCron heavily, just as he hoped.

"Y...yes sir," McRon said meekly. "Captain McCron, out."

Wesker sat back in his chair and smirked, feeling proud of himself for keeping McCron in his place. He knew the H.C.S. were more than capable of eliminating the S.T.A.R.S. team but why spoil all the entertainment? The opportunity was just too enticing to pass on and Wesker had waited long enough to make Chris and his miserable friends suffer for all the trouble they caused him. He would make them all suffer and laugh as they died at the hands of his creations. Everything was going just the way he wanted.


	8. Separated

**Authors Note-** I'm sorry for the delay. Now that it summer, I'll have plenty of time for updates. On another note, sorry if this chapter is a little short. Please enjoy and review.

Dr. Murphy had just witnessed the Stingers destruction at the hands of the S.T.A.R.S. team on her lab computer monitor. In less than a few minutes, the intruders had already breached the first obstacle Wesker had set up for them. But it wouldn't be the last one. Not by a long shot.

"Those poor bastards," Murphy said with a soft sigh of pity.

She didn't hate the S.T.A.R.S. at all. In fact she actually respected them for their courage and determination.

Though in her eyes, there was little hope they would survive once they entered the facility but at least they would take down a few of Wesker's little Frankenstein's with him in the process. Perhaps they would escape somehow and if they were lucky enough, maybe they would find her and try to help her. Maybe she could escape with them. Maybe…

"No," She muttered helplessly, realizing she was being unrealistic.

Murphy could never forget that Wesker basically had her family at gunpoint all the time. Even if the S.T.A.R.S. did find her by some chance, Wesker would be watching her on his monitor. If she tried to defect, even for an instant, he'd send an H.C.S. team to her house.

Back on the monitor, she watched the S.T.A.R.S. team enter the facility through the Stinger hole, going in one at time. Luckily for them all of the Stingers had been wiped out so they wouldn't have to worry about encountering more down below.

She switched off the computer monitor and wheeled around in her chair to face the half-dozen large, metallic cylinders lined in a row across the wall on the opposite side of the lab. Each one was about three feet wide and eight feet high. Warning signs were placed on each one with the iconic red biohazard symbol on them. Each cylinder had a small, glass viewport about a foot wide.

There were still quite a few B.O.W.s stored within the lab and a few other areas throughout the facility, along with two full squads of H.S.C. troopers, all well trained and armed to the teeth by Wesker himself.

Murphy had labored day and night to enhance Wesker's new creations, especially those injected with the T-Veronica Virus which he obtained from Steve Burnside.

The T-Veronica specimens were the strangest out of all the B.O.W.s.

Murphy approached one of the cylinders and peered through the viewport and felt a surge of disgust engulf her as she stared at the scarred, skeletal face of the creature inside. It was unconscious but breathing as it floated in the pale green fluid contained inside the cylinder with it.

Dr. Murphy stepped back and breathed out, letting her inward horror of her own creations drift out of her system before returning to her post, knowing Wesker would contact her again for further orders.

She knew only too well he was disappointed with the failure of the Stingers but he wasn't nearly angry enough to kill her. She was too valuable to dispose of like some worthless pawn and he was well aware she wouldn't dare defy him out of fear for her family.

She was nothing but a slave to Wesker. A helpless servant dragged into his schemes against her will. And worse yet, there was no way Wesker would ever let her go.

The narrow, thirty meter long corridor was metallic and lit by small, circular lights embedded into the smooth steel walls. Pipes and electric cables snaked straight across the ceiling above. Not a soul was in sight and it was unnervingly quiet. The corridor parted to both sides at the end.

Chris surveyed the hall before slowly taking a few steps forward before signaling the others to follow at the same pace as him. Little by little, with their weapons trained and eyes sharp, the team advanced single file down the corridor, the only sound was their footsteps and soft breathing.

Chris knew the thin corridor was a good place for an ambush. But even as the team made it halfway down the hall, nothing happened. It was puzzling but not convincing. It would be idiotic to think Wesker was out of tricks.

In the back, Claire kept her MP5 poised at her hip as he walked along. Her heart had eased up on adrenaline but she was nervous enough to keep it pumping more than normally.

True, she was scared, but there was no way she would turn back. She _had_ to find Steve.

The team reached the other end of the hallway. Chris and Barry both hit the walls and edged towards the neighboring corridors to the left and the right.

They swerved around the bends, training their weapons but didn't fire. The other two corridors were shorter than the main one and just as devoid of activity.

"Left corridor clear," Chris said.

"Right corridor clear," Barry added.

The team eased up, relieved there was no danger at the moment.

Chris and Barry faced the rest of the team as they awaited further instructions.

"Okay, guys," Chris began. His voice was as strict and serious as before. "Wesker is somewhere in this facility and we have to find him and take him out."

"But we don't know anything about this facility," Brian stated. "For all we know, Wesker could be watching us right now."

"I'd say your being paranoid," Barry scoffed, earning a quick glare from Brian.

Chris exhaled softly, knowing Brian had a point.

"We'd better split up and search the facility. Two groups," Chris announced, deciding quickly. "Barry, you and Jill stick with me. Brian, you take Claire, Leon and Rebecca. If anything goes wrong, use your walkie talkies. Keep your eyes peeled and be prepared for anything."

The team looked unsure of Chris's decision to split up. He gave them a defiant look, reminding them he was their leader. As usual, they trusted him, albeit with questionable looks on their faces. They all nodded slowly.

Chris nodded back and looked at Barry and Jill before taking to the left while Leon's team cut to the right.

In his quarters, Wesker sat quietly in his chair as he watched the S.T.A.R.S. team on his monitor, waiting patiently for them to step into the little trap he set up for them. He actually anticipated earlier that they would defeat the Stingers and find their way into the facility.

Many of the corridors throughout the base had built in emergency doors for containment in case any of the B.O.W.s got loose. They would work equally well at separating the S.T.A.R.S. from one another. The pathetic intruders would never find each other after he sprang the trap.

"All too easy," Wesker murmured, a sinister smile sliced across his face.

He eased his fingertip onto the smooth red button that would trigger the doors in the eastern section of the base. He waited a few moments and saw the S.T.A.R.S. separate and slowly advance down the corridors.

He casually pressed the button, very proud of himself for his cunning trap.

Leon's team had barely taken five steps into the right corridor when they heard a loud, metallic sound behind him. They all spun around and suddenly saw a heavy metal shutter slam down from above, cutting them off from their comrades in the left corridor.

Just like that, they had stepped into Wesker's trap.

"No!" Leon groaned.

Claire slammed her fists on the shutter in frustration. Rebecca and Brian looked angry, likely at Chris for his rash decision.

Leon was already on his walkie talkie, switching it to Chris' channel with a sour look on his face.

"Chris, this is Leon, do you read me?" Leon said, trying to suppress his annoyance.

"I read you, Leon," Chris' replied over the walkie talkie.

"Chris…..we've got a bit of a situation here," Leon said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "What's the plan now?"

Chris garbled sigh could be heard, earning mildly amused looks from Leon and his team.

"Just keep moving," Chris said unwavering. "Wesker can separate us but he can't break us. We'll regroup as soon as we can. These corridors have to connect together."

Leon looked uncertain.

"Copy that, Leon out," He said regardless as he switched off the walkie talkie and looked at his waiting comrades. "We've got to keep moving. We'll link up with the others as soon as possible."

"Easier said than done," Brian said skeptically. "We don't even know how big this place is."

Leon stared indifferently at Brian. He simply checked his ammunition and continued down the corridor.

"There's only one way to find out, now let's go," Leon said.

Wesker eyed Leon's team carefully as they moved along the corridor, heading towards the containment room of one of his personally favorite B.O.W.s.

He suddenly felt a rush of joy and anticipation in his system and immediately switched on the intercom on his desk to Dr. Murphy's channel.

"Dr. Murphy," Wesker said. "This is Wesker. It's time for our second phase. Release the Hunters, over."

There was a brief pause.

"Yes sir," Dr. Murphy replied.

Wesker switched off his intercom and folded his hands behind his head as he sat back in his seat.

Soon his revenge against Chris would commence with the death of his sister. Though he would love nothing more than to expose Claire to what was once Steve Burnside and relish in her terror, either way, her death would be an extravagant sight.

With Claire dead, Chris would be devastated to the point where he would unable to resist the fact Wesker had defeated him.

"Soon, revenge will be mine at last," Wesker said, looking ever so forward to his glorious vengeance.


	9. Death of a Teammate

With their weapons poised and their eyes open with caution, Leon's team advanced down the corridor.

The long, metallic corridor was adjoined with pipes and thin, electric cables. Flat, circular lights built into the ceiling shined enough light to keep the area illuminated.

There was no sound, save the soft pat of the team's boots against the metal floor plates.

Leon led the way with Claire, Rebecca and Brian following in order.

Claire was nervous but her determination to bring down Wesker and find Steve didn't falter in the slightest.

She was actually a bit excited.

She couldn't wait to actually find Steve and, if possible, save him from whatever Wesker may have done to him. But then again…..what if it was too late?

Claire shook the negative thought out of her head, refusing to give in to despair so early. She knew there had to be hope for Steve, there had to be…

"_Beep, beep, beep"_

Thirty feet down the hall, a small, green light embedded into the right wall beside a thick, metal shutter began to blink, emitting a high pitched beeping sound. Leon's team froze in place at the sound.

"Leon, what is it?" Rebecca asked, her voice wavering slightly.

Leon didn't respond. He angled his weapon towards the shutter as it hissed and slowly rose up. Leon briefly caught a glimpse of several warning signs on the shutter; one of them he could have sworn had a Biohazard symbol on it.

"Get ready!" Leon shouted, his sense of logic already kicking in.

The rest of the team trained their weapons on the shutter as it finished rising up, revealing a dark compartment, the inside of which could not be seen.

There was an unsettling silence that lasted only a few moments. There was a footstep emitting from the compartment. A heavy footstep accompanied by a thick clicking sound against the metal floor. It sounded like claws.

The team backed away, making space between them and whatever was coming their way from within the compartment.

There was another footstep, and another. Next there was a deep, rasping snarl that vaguely sounded familiar to Leon. It sounded like…

"_Oh no…"_

A husky, two meter tall humanoid creature lumbered out of the compartment. It was covered from head to toe with thick, pale green scales. Its webbed hands and feet sported thick, white claws the size of a fist and razor sharp and its dripping mouth was lined with serrated teeth.

It was a Hunter.

The creature snarled again as it turned almost casually towards the team, leering at them with thin, yellow eyes, its teeth gnashing with bloodlust.

Leon knew from Raccoon how savage and quick Hunters were. He and his team had to be quicker.

"Fire!" He cried immediately, already pulling the trigger on his M16.

The Hunter howled as Leon and Claire poured bullets into its reptilian body, killing it before it could take a step forward. The creature fell on its back, twitched for a moment and didn't move, settling in a puddle of red blood.

Satisfied, Leon and Claire lowered their weapons, but then raised them again immediately as they heard another Hunter snarling further down the corridor around the bend at the end of the corridor, its hunched shadow creeping along the wall.

"Here comes another one," Claire said softly.

Leon nodded slowly in acknowledgement as he kept his rifle poised. Brian and Rebecca kept their weapons tight just in case.

But just before the second Hunter stepped into view…..Leon suddenly remembered something earlier. They had passed another shutter before the first one. It was too late.

Another shutter light blinked behind the team and opened, releasing a third hunter.

"Look out!" Brian cried. "Behind us!"

* * *

Wesker drummed his fingers on his desk as he watched Leon's team defend themselves against the Hunters. It was a brief fight with three of his creations dying...but at least one of the meddling S.T.A.R.S. was mortally wounded by a swift slash to the neck.

Wesker smiled sadistically as the man with the shotgun clutched his gushing throat and collapsed while the rest of the team killed the last Hunter and tried to aid him. On the monitor, Rebecca was already fishing out her medical pack while Leon and Claire watched helplessly.

"One down...six more to go," Wesker said flatly, actually dissapointed with the Hunters performance.

Apparently things weren't going as smoothly as Wesker anticipated. The Stingers had failed and now the Hunters were destroyed. All for one S.T.A.R.S. member.

He could still dispatch his H.F.C. squad to dispose of the intruders but the opportunity of using Subject C-2 couldn't be ignored. Wesker wanted Claire to look at what was once Steve Burnside before her untimely demise. He wanted to make her and Chris suffer so much for the troubles they caused him.

But now wasn't the time to resort to such measures. Wesker figured he'd let Captain McCron have some fun with Chris.

Wesker reached over and turned off the security monitor. He turned in his chair and switched on his intercom.

"Captain McCron?" Wesker said.

"Yes sir?"

"Now is the time," Wesker said. "Intercept Chris Redfield and kill him and his teammates."

* * *

Brian was goner. The team was certain he would die from the Hunters fatal attack. His slashed throat profusely leaked blood onto Rebeccas shaking fingers as she desperately tried to stop the bleeding. Her efforts were in vain as Brians breathing rapidly slowed.

Leon and Claire stood over Brian and Rebecca, looking hopelessly at his paling face.

The Hunters lay sprawled on the floor.

"Rebecca, can't you do anything?" Claire asked.

Rebecca looked at Claire and shook her head slowly, a look of remorse on her young face.

"I can give him morphine...but that's it," Rebecca replied softly.

Claire and Leon exchanged mute looks and then nodded at Rebecca. Rebecca nodded back as she dug out a morphine syrette from her med-kit and stuck it into Brians bloody neck.

Brian's breathing slowed more but the expression of pain on his face lessened as he relaxed, letting the embrace of death take him. A few moments later, Brian lay motionless on the floor.

The team was silent for a few moments before Rebecca stood up and washed her blood caked hands off with water from her canteen, a single tear tricking down her face. Claire hugged Rebecca to calm her as the medic wept softly. Leon turned away as he reloaded his M16, his head hung in grief over his fallen comrade.

"So...what now?"Rebecca asked, her voice shaky.

"We have to keep moving," Leon said simply.

"What about, Brian?" Claire asked, not wanting to leave their dead teammate behind.

Leon sighed heavily.

"There's nothing we can do for him now," Leon said remorsefully. "If we can, we'll pick him up on the way back."

Leon slung his rifle over his shoulder and continued down the corridor.

Claire and Rebecca looked at eachother before they fell in behind Leon.

* * *

Dr. Murphy had witnessed the destruction of the Hunters but at the cost of one S.T.A.R.S. member. The unfortunate man had his throat slashed open by a Hunters sickle like claw. She couldn't help but feel a surge of pity for him.

But now wasn't the time to feel sorry for the S.T.A.R.S. They had just breached another obstacle and were practically at her doorstep. The Biolab was connected to the corridor the 2nd team was steadily advancing down and if they found her...they would probably try to help her...and that would only spell death for her family once Wesker found out.

Murphy breathed out heavily as she pushed her glasses to the bridge of her nose, unable to ignore how hopeless her situation was.

She had only two choice: Either she helped Wesker kill the S.T.A.R.S. or she and her loved ones would die.

She swiveled in her chair and gazed at the now empty cyrotubes that had once contained the Hunters before she released them into the small compartments lining a section of the corridors snaking through the facility. Only one cyrotube remained, the one containing Subject C-2.

She knew Wesker would order her to release Subject C-2 if the H.C.F. troops failed to stop the S.T.A.R.S. It would be the only option left for Wesker.

_"Unless..."_

In her spare time, Dr. Murphy had been working on a special type of serum that, if injected properly into the hippocampus section of the brain of a human B.O.W., it could replenish neurons lost in the T-Virus mutation process and make the B.O.W. remember his or her past before T-Virus injection.

Soon enough, Dr. Murphy had a plan of her own forming in her head.

If she could inject the memory serum into Subject C-2's brain, he could remember his past in a short amount of time. The serum worked quickly. She could...

_"Stop it! Don't be ridiculous!"_

Murphy realized she was being unrealistic. If she even tried such a move, Wesker would give the message to his hitmen to dispose of her family. Besides, she didn't even know if the serum would work properly. It would probably just kill Subject C-2 or render him uncontrollable.

Sighing, Murphy sat back in her chair, waiting nervously for Weskers next order, knowing it would be to release Subject C-2.


	10. Released

Chris, Jill and Barry had been walking through the sleek metal corridor for about five minutes and still hadn't encountered any of Wesker's pets.

Chris was surprised. He expected an ambush earlier but something told him Wesker had something big up his sleeve. Separating the team was a smart move; Wesker new that they would be less effective in two smaller groups. He could only pray that Claire and the others were all right and that they would reunite as soon as possible.

The team turned around a bend in the corridor and came across a wide door. A circular, red light glowed above the door, indicating it was locked.

Uncertain whether to enter or not, the team stopped at the door.

"We can't just turn back, Chris," Jill said. "We have to keep moving."

"She's right," Barry added. "Besides, we know Wesker is watching us so we're going to run into one of his surprises anyway."

Then came a third voice from a speaker above.

"_Their right, Chris."_

The team looked up at the speaker in surprise. Chris identified the voice almost immediately.

"Wesker!" Chris shouted.

"_It's good to see you again, Chris. I must say I'm impressed you've made it this far. But I'm afraid your unwanted presence will soon be ended,"_ Wesker said smoothly.

Chris clenched his hands tightly around his rifle, his eyes narrowed with hate.

"Don't bet on it you son of a bitch!" Chris hissed. "As soon as we're done mopping up your creations, I'll be coming for you!"

Wesker scoffed in contempt.

"_Oh, my creations aren't the only thing you fools have to worry about. At least put up a decent fight before dying. Good-bye,"_ Wesker concluded.

There was a soft click and the red light above the door turned green.

Chris sighed and turned his attention to the door and realized Wesker had baited them to whatever was inside. Knowing there was no turning back; he reached over at the button beside the door and pressed it.

The door hummed and drifted up, opening into a wide room. Here and there, metal barriers stood in a neat row across the center of the room. Ten feet above there were metal walkways lined with several doors and ladders built into the wall that covered three sides of the room. It looked like a training room of some sort.

Without hesitating, Chris stepped inside with Jill and Barry following with their guns poised.

As soon as they were all in, the door shut behind them and Chris could hear the sound of the doors above opening. The first one in the center opened and out came two men. Both of them were dressed in black, combat gear with tactical helmets with visors and M4 Carbines fitted with scopes.

"Ambush!" Chris cried as he dove for one of the metal barriers.

The two H.C.F. soldiers took aim and opened fire as the S.T.A.R.S. team swiftly took cover behind the bullet proof shields. Chris gripped his rifle as the rounds rapidly bounced off the thick shield. He waited for the two guards to stop and reload.

The gunfire ceased and Chris quickly rose up from his cover, took aim and fired at one of the guards, bringing him down with a well placed burst of fire to the chest. The other soldier ducked behind the metal plating covering the walkway.

Before Chris could aim again, two more doors opened; one on the walkway above and the other on the opposite side of the room, disgorging four more H.C.F. soldiers into the room.

"Look out, Chris!" Jill cried.

As the H.C.F. soldiers took up position, one of them whipped out a frag grenade and hurled it towards the S.T.A.R.S. It narrowly bounced off the surface of Chris' shield and exploded, spraying the area with shrapnel. Luckily none of them were hurt.

The chatter of automatic gunfire filled the room as the guards peppered the metal shields with bullets.

"We're pinned down!" Barry shouted, his voice barely audible over the gunfire.

Chris peaked behind his shield and saw two guards covering the door that led out of the room and quickly hatched up a plan in his head.

He turned his attention to Jill and hand signaled her to throw a smoke grenade forward.

Jill nodded as she removed a cylinder smoke grenade from her vest, pulled the pin and threw it forward. A moment later, the grenade popped and hissed, releasing a thick cloud of white smoke that filled the room. The gunfire ceased briefly as the guards struggled to find a clear view of fire around the smoke.

"Now! To the door! I'll cover you!" Chris shouted as he lifted his rifle and fired.

Jill and Barry joined in as Chris fired at the space the two guards occupied and heard two bodies fall. Jill and Barry sprang from their cover and ran for the door as one of the H.C.F. soldiers wildly at them as the smoke began to clear.

Barry was too slow.

The burly S.T.A.R.S. member grunted loudly as a bullet tore through his shoulder, a brief spray of blood erupting from the wound.

"Barry!" Chris cried out as he spotted one of the H.C.F. soldiers and fired, scoring a head shot.

Without looking back, Jill and Barry rushed through the door and fired upwards to prive cover for Chris.

Without hesitating, Chris ran from his shield and sprinted for the door, narrowly dodging bullets as they slapped the metal floor at his feet. He reached the door, entered and immediately closed it behind him, panting.

Barry slumped down to the floor and removed his shirt to inspect his bleeding shoulder. Jill knelt beside him to inspect the wound.

"Are you okay?" Jill asked.

"I think so," Barry said through clenched teeth. "Hurts like hell but I don't think it hit anything important."

"Lucky you," Chris said as he reloaded his rifle. "Jill, patch him up."

Jill nodded as she carefully bandaged Barry's shoulder while Chris patiently waited.

The team had stumbled into another corridor different from the previous one. There were doors on both sides and navigational signs. One of them read: power generator.

Chris remembered all of Weskers cameras. All of the speakers and electronic doors. Without any power, he couldn't open them unless there was auxillary power. Even if there wasn't, the team still had flashlights to guide their way through the corridors.

Deciding quickly, Chris stumbled towards the generator room, reaching for a hand grenade on his vest.

* * *

Wesker stared in disbelief as his H.C.F. soldiers had failed miserably to kill Chris and his team.

It didn't make any sense. They were outnumbered and outgunned two to one and all his men managed to do was wound Barry Burton while four of them had died. Only two H.C.F. soldiers remained, including McCron.

Infuriated, Wesker raised his fist and thrust it into the monitor, shattering the screen loudly. He withdrew his hand from the smoking monitor and stabbed his finger onto the switch to his intercom.

"McCron…" Wesker said, barely containing his rage.

"Y…yes sir," McCron replied weakly.

"I want to see you in my quarters now," Wesker said.

"B….but sir…"

"I said NOW!" Wesker shouted.

"Y…yes sir….r…right away…"

Wesker switched off the intercom and held his forehead in bitter frustration.

"_This is all wrong! They should all be dead by now! Those fucking, meddling bastards!"_

Wesker knew he had to kill McCron. The incompetent commander was more useless than he thought. Wesker half-expected McCron to be a complete fuck-up anyway but it didn't matter anymore. He could always get more soldiers but the S.T.A.R.S. _had _to die.

Wesker sat silently in his chair, letting his anger drain from his system with deep breathing. Once he regained his composure, Wesker realized there was only one option left.

Wesker switched his intercom to the Bio-Lab.

"Dr. Murphy," Wesker said.

"Yes sir?"

"It is time. Release Subject C-2," Wesker replied.

There was a brief pause.

"But…sir…..what about the H.C.F.?" Murphy inquired.

"They have failed, now release subject…."

Before Wesker could finish, a muffled but audible explosion shook the room slightly and the intercom shut off abruptly, as did the lights and his computer screen.

Dumbstruck, Wesker tried to turn the intercom back on to no avail. Then he realized the S.T.A.R.S. had reached the main corridor that led to his quarters. The main quarters contained the most important sections of the base, including the generator. There was auxillary power but only for the emergency lights to guide lost staff members. The rest of the equipment was useless now, save the computers stored in the Bio-lab to prevent the BOWs from getting loose.

"_No…..no!"_

Wesker screamed as he slammed both of his fists on the wooden desk, smashing it in two but he barely noticed. All he could think about was Chris Redfield and how slow and painful he would make his untimely demise once he caught up with him.

* * *

Dr. Murphy was in mid-sentence with her boss when suddenly the intercom shut off. Murphy was puzzled for a moment but then remembered Wesker telling her the S.T.A.R.S. had defeated the H.C.F. troops. Whether it was luck or skill, the S.T.A.R.S. were on Murphy's doorstep and Wekser's as well. They had made it past every obstacle...except Subject C-2.

But what really struck her was that if Wesker had been cut off, then the generators must have been damaged or destroyed by the S.T.A.R.S. This meant Wesker could no longer communicate with the outside world and only the Bio-lab had any emergency power left.

Dr. Murphy swallowed hard as she swiveled in her chair and gazed at the Biotube containing the last BOW in the facility. Inside, Subect C-2 slept, awaiting orders.

Murphy hesitated for a moment, realizing that now she could truly consider her option of using the memory serum. She held it in one slightly shaking hand, sloshing the bright orange fluid inside the thin, glass cylindar built into the syrange.

It was a big risk...but it just might be worth taking.

For the first time in a while, Dr. Murphy actually felt a glint of hope for her family. She stood up, breathed in deeply and walked towards Subject C-2's container, praying the the serum would work.


	11. Reunited

Steve Burnside had just been released, clothed and dispatched by Dr. Murphy in the Bio-Lab. His orders were frank and clear: Find the S.T.A.R.S. and eliminate them. He hadn't personally recieved the order from Wesker himself due to the communications disruption not long ago but it didn't matter. Steves only purpose was to serve Wesker. That was all that mattered to him.

As he wandered down the narrow, metal corridor, Steve could only focus on his mission as he steadily walked along towards the S.T.A.R.S. most probable location.

However, it wasn't until about five minutes of walking did something strange happen. In the back of his mind, Steve could feel a slight tickle in his brain, as if changes were occuring within. Then he remembered...

_"My name's Steve. I was a prisoner on this island."_

_"I'm Claire. Claire Redfield."_

Before his very eyes, Steve could see himself speaking to a girl...Claire, in a courtyard.

Steve stopped in his tracks and looked puzzled. He didn't know what he was seeing...but somehow...it seemed familiar. The girl, the courtyard and those words he heard in the back of his mind. It all seemed as if it had happened before.

Whatever the memory was, Steve could not understand it. Shrugging absently, he continued walking, realizing he was wasting time.

* * *

Leon's team had been walking for nearly five minutes when they heard footsteps approaching from a neighboring corridor. Leon signaled Claire and Rebecca to halt and ready their weapons.

Strangely, the footsteps were not heavy but sounded lighter and calmer, more like a human. It could be one of Weskers soldiers which could mean trouble, since they carried weapons and there were almost certainly a number of them in the facility.

Leon aimed his rifle at the human shadow that began to creep along the wall sided with the corridor ahead. The shadow was human, likely male.

Claire kept her MP5 trained on the shadow, her finger resting on the trigger...and felt her breath turn to glass in her throat as Steve Burnside, the only man she ever loved in her life, stepped into view.

But it wasn't the Steve she knew. Even from afar, she could see what Wesker had done to him.

Steve's eyes were fixed in a narrow, emotionless stare and seemed to give off a burning red glow as if fueled by an insatiable bloodlust running through his mutated body.

"Steve…" Claire whispered in shock and disbelief.

Without a sound, Steve calmly advanced toward the team, his footsteps slow and deliberate. His callous gaze did not change as he walked forward.

Leon didn't know whether to fight or try to reason with the boy. His instincts told him that the latter would be hopeless. If there was a shred of humanity left in Steve, more than likely, it was gone forever, thanks to Wesker.

Reluctantly, Leon fired at Steve with his M16, sending at least ten rounds into the young man's upper torso.

"Leon! No!" Claire cried.

Steve didn't even slow down as the rounds hammered his chest, poking dime sized holes in his shirt. Numbly, Leon could see Steve's wounds heal almost immediately, closing up and ejecting the bullets from his chest, sending them clattering onto the metal floor.

"_Not good…_"

Without thinking, Leon fired again with Rebecca joining in with her handgun, sending another shower of bullets into Steve with the same results following as before. By now, Steve was only ten feet away when Leon stopped to reload.

Steve sprang forward at blinding speed and in the blink of an eye, grabbed the barrel of Leon's M16, bent it a good 90° and yanked it out of Leon's grasp, tossing it aside before the ex-cop could even grab a fresh magazine.

Leon barely had time to back away when Steve swung his fist at whistling spead and struck Leon in the jaw, sending him flying back and landing hard on the floor. He didn't move.

Rebecca fared no better as she struggled to reload her handgun when Steve ran up to her, seized her by the collar of her combat vest and slammed her into the wall, hitting the young medics head hard and knocking her out. She crumpled to the floor.

Claire gasped in surprise as her comrades fell before focusing on Steve…and she realized he was looking at her.

Her instincts told her to run, knowing that fighting would be futile.

As quickly as she could, Claire dropped her weapon, turned around and ran for her life.

* * *

Steve Burnside had effortlessly incapacitated two of the S.T.A.R.S. It was too easy, even for him.

Then the girl…..Claire…thought she could outrun him.

Then that feeling came back when he focused on the fleeing girl.

"_I'm glad that I met you…..I…."_

Steve was confused. He couldn't comprehend what he was experiencing. Somehow he knew the girl. Somehow he had met her before in the past. And somehow…..he felt something inside him whenever he looked at her. It was a warm, soothing feeling inside his chest that made him feel strangely comfortable.

Whatever it was, Steve liked it somehow…..and deep inside…he somehow felt that he didn't want to hurt Claire…

It was strange. There was no reason for him to have compassion. His purpose was to only obey Wesker. That was his fate. The very reason that he lived for.

Reminding himself of his mission, Steve shook the strange feeling from his head and ran after the girl.

* * *

Claire had barely run twenty feet when she felt a powerful grip from behind. She felt her throat close like a squeezed garden hose as a strong hand caught her by the back of her neck.

Claire let out a strained, choking cry of pain as she was swept off her feet and slammed back first into the wall…and found herself staring into the red, furious eyes of Steve Burnside as he held her up one foot off the ground.

Claire stared right back, as if begging Steve to spare her but she knew it was over. All of her hopes of ever saving Steve were shattered in an instant with the realization that she and her team had failed and now she was going to die.

Without a hint of emotion on his paled face, Steve lifted his free hand and out from his finger tips sprouted long, curved claws, each one jet black and razor sharp.

Claire swallowed hard and tried pathetically to struggle free as she squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable...

* * *

Steve had Claire at his mercy. As she writhed in his iron grip, he raised his clawed hand, ready to deliver the killing blow…but it never happened.

Just then, another memory came crashing into Steve's mind like a tidal wave. The sight of Claire flashed before his eyes. He could see her caressing the cheek of a dying young man with red hair…..and realized it was him. Realized what he was seeing was his past before Wesker had turned him into a mindless monster.

Then finally, his memory came back full circle when he heard his past speak the four most honest words he had ever uttered in his life. The four words he directed at Claire just before his untimely demise.

"_I…..I love you…Claire"_

All in a flash, every memory of Rockfort Island and the Antarctic facility returned to Steve. He could remember everything from the death of his father to the encounter with Alexander Ashford. At long last, Steve Burnsides memory returned to him. The memory serum had worked.

* * *

Claire kept her eyes shut. Too afraid to move. Too afraid to breathe. Too…

"Claire?"

For an instant, Claire thought her mind was playing some sick trick on her…that she was hearing things...but when she felt Steve's grip suddenly loosen and set her on the ground, she mustered the courage to open her eyes and found herself staring into concerned, shining blue eyes of Steve.

Long seconds dragged by as both of them just stared at each other, utterly unsure what to say until Steve spoke again.

"Claire, it's me," He said softly.

Claire couldn't believe it. She felt tears well into her eyes. Not tears of agony but tears of joy. It was as if her prayers had been answered by the almighty himself.

Steve gave a half-smiled as he reached over and wiped Claire's eyes with a gentle sweep of his finger.

Claire didn't speak. She simply began to sob softly as she hugged him, suddenly feeling so safe from all the harm in the world with the man she loved. He hugged her back, his arms wrapped around her waist as he held her close, letting her cry softly on his shoulder.

They were finally together again.


	12. A New Ally

Captain McCron lay dead in the center of Wesker's dimly lit office. The incompetent H.F.C. soldier's neck had been savagely broken. Wesker served the captains punishment well for failing him.

Wesker sat silently at his desk, paying no attention to McCron's corpse. The only thing that concerned him was the S.T.A.R.S. advancing slowly but steadily towards his position. He knew they would find him, the ones not yet dispatched by Subject C-2 yet anyway. And once they did, he would be more than happy to finish them off.

The darkness in Wesker's office easily matched his mood. The power was off but the emergency lights still worked but that was it. All of the computers and electrical systems outside the bio-lab were out of order thanks to Chris. Wesker would make his death extra painful for that.

Clenching his teeth with barely controlled rage, Wesker stood up abruptly and approached the door leading out of his quarters, knowing it wouldn't be long before Chris and his teammates arrived. He would kill them and leave the base himself.

However, no evidence of the facilities existence could ever be discovered by the outside world. Luckily, Wesker always thought ahead.

The whole facility was rigged with enough C-4 to level a dozen buildings. The self-destruct system would destroy the base once Wesker was through with the S.T.A.R.S. True, Dr. Murphy and any remaining H.C.F. soldiers would perish but that was a small price to pay in comparison to the long awaited destruction of the S.T.A.R.S. It was all worth it to Wesker.

And as for Subject C-2. Wesker would find him and leave the base with him. The specimen was far too valuable to be considered expendable. Wesker would reunite with him once the S.T.A.R.S. were finally out of the way and together they would escape the facility before its destruction.

"_Not quite as I planned, but it will do."_

Feeling his anger diminish within for the time being, Wesker took a deep breath and waited in his quarters, awaiting Chris and his friends for their inevitable end.

* * *

Leon could barely see straight when he came to. His head ached and his vision was blurred. Steve Burnsides punch had done its job. It took Leon a few moments to register what happened. He could remember Steve Burnside attacking him and his world went to black but he knew that the girls were still with him at the time.

What if Burnside had attacked them as well? What if…

"_No…"_

Leon heard a soft murmur behind him. He turned his head and saw Rebecca sitting up and clutching her bruised head, her teeth clenched with pain.

Next he heard what sounded like crying.

Leon gazed down the corridor and his eyes widened. Steve Burnside was holding a sobbing Claire in his arms, his free hand stroking her hair.

All on instinct, Leon scrambled to his feet, drew his handgun and aimed it at Steve.

"Hold it right there!" He shouted.

Claire and Steve quickly gazed at Leon with surprised faces. Long seconds dragged by as they stared at one another before Steve let go of Claire and faced Leon.

"Take it easy," Steve said, gesturing slowly with his hands. "It's all right."

Leon didn't lower his weapon. Rebecca just stood there, completely unsure what to do.

"Leon please," Claire said softly, taking a step forward. "I know this sounds crazy…..but he's back to normal. We can trust him."

Leon cocked his brow skeptically.

"What the hell do you mean back to normal?" Leon asked. "He just attacked us."

"But I can remember now," Steve said quickly. "I remember all of you. I don't know how…..but…"

Steve knew there was no easy explaination to what happened. He wasn't entirely sure how his memory returned to him so suddenly.

"Give me one reason why we should trust him?" Leon asked coldly.

Claire looked stricken. She never told Leon how she felt towards Steve. If there was a time to tell him, it was now.

"I love him," Claire said simply.

Just like that, she laid her cards down on the table for Leon to see. Leon stared blank faced at Claire, completely taken aback.

"Its true," Steve said softly. "Though I still don't know how I remember..."

"That would be thanks to me, my son," A woman's voice said.

Everyone turned their heads and saw a woman in a labcoat walking towards them from the same corridor Steve had arrived from. How she reached them without alerting them was surprising.

"Who are you?" Rebecca asked.

"My name is Dr. Murphy," The woman answered, her voice a bit shaky. "I'm the head researcher of this facility. It was I who released him but it was also I who restored his memory."

Steve and the S.T.A.R.S. wore looks of bewilderment, especially Leon.

"You?" Leon said pointing. "Your the one who released him onto us? Then it was you who released the Hunters too!"

Leon swiftly pointed his gun at Dr. Murphy. Murphy's eyes widened with shock and fear and she held up her hands in panic.

"No! Wait! You don't understand!" Dr. Murphy cried desperately. "It was Wesker who ordered me to release them! I had no choice!"

Leon took a step towards Murphy, his eyes frigid with anger as he kept his gun trained on her, his finger settled on the trigger.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leon demanded loudly. "You helped Wesker! Thanks to you, one of our teammates is dead!"

Claire and Rebecca were frozen in place, unsure how to react. Steve was also still though numbly he remembered Dr. Murphy injecting him with something shortly after he was released from his bio-tube. Regardless, he didn't know if he and his friends could fully trust the scientist.

Murphy regained her composure, knowing she had to explain everything to the S.T.A.R.S.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't defy Wesker," Dr. Murphy said as calmly as she could. "He knows where my family lives. If I had disobeyed him, he would have had them killed."

Leon's gaze switched to a puzzled look but he kept his gun raised nonetheless, not wanting to take any chances. For all he knew, she was armed _and_ lying.

"I didn't want to, but yes, I did release the B.O.W.s," Dr. Murphy admitted. "But now that the communications are down, Wesker can't give out the order. I don't think he even knows I injected Steve with the memory serum."

There was a short pause. Leon nodded slowly and finally lowered his weapon. Dr. Murphy sighed heavily with relief and lowered her hands.

"So where is Wesker now?" Claire asked eagerly.

"His quarters are further down this corridor," Dr. Murphy replied. "If we hurry we can probably stop him. Follow me."

Dr. Murphy turned and walked. Leon looked at Steve and his comrades and they gave him an affirmative nod. He looked back at Murphy and followed her.

Leon was initially hesitant to trust Dr. Murphy, still clinging to the fact she was responsible for Brians death earlier, whether it was Wesker's order or not. He wasn't entirely sure of Steve either but Leon had a feeling that the confirmation of whether they were friend or foe would soon turn up.

* * *

Chris and his comrades had advanced further into the dark bowels of the facility. Luckily for them, they still flashlights to guide their way, even though Wesker had installed emergency lights that switched on once they disabled the power generator.

Chris instinctively knew Wesker had to be close. They had checked every room and found no sign of him so they had to be getting closer with every step.

The team finally came across a metal door. It was the last one that they hadn't checked out. For all they knew, Wesker was right behind it.

"Get ready," Chris said, keeping his voice down just in case.

Jill and Barry nodded and raised their weapons.

Chris reached out with one hand towards the panel to open the door but the green light indicating it was unlocked flashed and the door hissed. Chris stumbled backwards and raised his rifle, his heart picking up in his chest as the door slid up...and his worst guess of who was inside was staring right at him.

"Good to see you again, Chris," Wesker said, half-sarcastic, half-pleased that his chance to kill Chris himself had finally come.


	13. Showdown

**Authors Note:** I'm very sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I've been under a lot of stress lately but I promise to have this story complete by early September.

Dr. Murphy lead Claire and her companions the way through the narrow, metal corridors of the facility, bound for Wesker's quarters with hopes of intercepting him before he could escape. If they were lucky, Chris and the others would join them and bring down the madman once and for all.

But Wesker wasn't the only thing on Claire's mind. There was still so much she wanted to tell Steve and if things didn't go the way she wanted, she would never get the chance again.

She withdrew the negative thoughts from her head, telling herself to focus on the present situation of reaching her brother. There would be plenty of time to reconcile with Steve once the crisis was over.

Desperate and quick, the team strode down one last corridor, turned around a bend…..and stopped dead in their tracks, their eyes full of shock.

Wesker stood over the sprawled, unconscious bodies of Chris, Jill and Barry just outside his quarters. Their faces were bruised and bloody. He faced them, a sick, sadistic smile plastered on his face.

"Welcome, my friends," Wesker said softly.

"Wesker!" Claire hissed fiercely. "What did you do to them?"

"Oh, don't worry, my dear," Wesker said. "There merely unconscious. I wanted your brother to live long enough to see you die."

Wesker switched his attention to Steve and Dr. Murphy and wore a look of anger.

"So Dr. Murphy, you have betrayed me," Wesker said simply. "I half-expected as much. It will cost you your life, and the lives of your loved ones."

Dr. Murphy shuddered but she stood her ground, refusing to let Wesker frighten her anymore.

"You won't get away this time, Wesker," Leon snarled, his handgun clutched in his hand.

Wesker let out a mocking cackle that made Claire's skin crawl.

"We'll see about that, you insolent bastard!" Wesker said.

Leon raised his handgun but it was already too late. Wesker dashed toward the group with inhuman speed, swatted the gun from Leon's grip and delivered a shoving kick into his torso.

Leon felt the wind rush out of his chest as he was knocked right off his feet and hit the ground back first.

A split second later, Wesker seized Rebecca by the neck and tossed her aside like a ragdoll, sending her skidding across the metal floor before she could even raise her weapon.

Claire tried to aim her MP5 but almost immediately, Wesker snatched it from her grip and snapped the weapon in half with his own two hands like a twig. Wesker's hand stuck out like a cobra, grabbed Claire by the neck and lifted her off the ground.

Dr. Murphy was too stunned to do anything to help, her feet glued to the spot she stood upon. But Steve on the other hand would not allow Wesker to harm the girl he loved.

"No!" Steve cried.

As quick as lightning, Steve came up behind Wesker, seized him by the shoulder and turned him around. Before Wesker could react, Steve lashed out with his fist and struck Wesker so hard across the face his sunglasses flew off and clattered to the floor.

Wesker grunted and staggered for a moment, releasing his grip on Claire who gasped for breath as she scrambled to her feet.

Wesker glared at Steve with furious red eyes. He licked the interior of his mouth and spat out a tooth mixed with blood.

Enraged and without a word, Wesker grabbed Steve by the collar of his shirt and slammed him violently into the wall, caving in the thin metal plating. Steve retaliated by slamming Wesker back into another wall with the same result.

Both of them grappled for a few seconds with Claire watching in awe before Wesker drew his fist back and punched Steve hard in the jaw, sending the young man flying a good ten feet and skidding across the floor.

"You may be superhuman boy," Wesker snarled as he crept towards Steve. "But even that will not save you."

Steve got up and rubbed his sore mouth with the back of his hand, eyes gleaming.

"You'll find I'm full of surprises!" Steve retorted.

Wesker smirked as he nonchalantly stood his ground, waiting for Steve to make the next move. He completely ignored Claire behind him as she watched the battle.

Steve charged forward, drew back his fist and swung hard but Wesker caught it and back fisted the boy across the face with his good hand. Steve staggered but didn't fall as he quickly swung his other fist. Wesker ducked, smiling with vile amusement as he dodged Steve's blows.

"Your too cocky for your own good, Steve," Wesker said.

In a heartbeat, Wesker caught Steve's fist once more and twisted it. Claire heard Steve cry out in agony, as well as the sickening crunch of bone breaking. Wesker released the boy, who hunched over clutching his broken wrist, his face grimaced with pain but Claire saw Steve's expression soften and his wrist snap back into place as it repaired itself almost instantly thanks to his regenerative powers.

Briefly, Wesker looked surprised but his typical indifferent expression returned quickly.

"So, your regenerative powers work faster than I imagined," Wesker said. "You _are_ full of surprises, my boy."

Seeing Wesker had let his guard down, Steve rushed forward as quick as a rabbit, still hunched over and plowed into Wesker headfirst, knocking him to the ground. Again and again, Steve pummeled Wesker's face with his bare hands before being knocked off by a well placed kick in the chest.

The two combatants stood up. Wesker wiped his bleeding nose but strangely, he didn't look angry. In fact he looked joyful somehow.

"Let's make things more interesting," Wesker said softly.

Wesker reached into his pocket and fished out a small, metallic cylinder with a red button on top. He pressed it.

A high pitched alarm sounded off and red lights hanging from the ceiling blinked brightly. A female, monotonous voice emitted from the speakers.

"_Warning! Warning! The self-destruct sequence has been activated. T-Minus 5 minutes till detonation. All personal evacuate immediately."_

Claire felt her blood run cold and old memories return to her. It was the same as the Rockfort Island base with its own built in self-destruct mechanism.

Steve's eyes widened with realization that he couldn't waste any time in his fight with Wesker if he were to ever see the sun again and be free.

"By the time I've killed you, I'll have more than enough time to escape," Wesker said smiling, feeling as if he had already won.

Claire looked at Dr. Murphy who looked right back as if to say _"I didn't know!"_ Claire sighed hopelessly.

Leon and Rebecca stirred and got up, wearing looks of worry. Apparently they heard the self-destruct system's announcement and how long they had before they would die.

Steve forced himself and his pounding heart to settle down, knowing that panic would only worsen the situation.

Wesker calmly craned his neck towards the boy as he circled around him, looking for an opening to strike. Steve stayed tense, knowing Wesker was trying a different approach. With precious time draining away and no quick way to end the battle, Steve found himself out of options until he spotted a fusebox behind Wesker. It must have been for the emergency lights and power to the bio-lab.

His swift thinking was cut off by Wesker dashing forward, his fist drawn back. Steve immediately ducked and dodged the blow as Wesker barreled past him. He turned around to face Wesker as he focused back on Steve. Steve backed up, positioning himself just in front of the fusebox. Wesker furrowed his eyes as he charged forward one last time.

In the split second before the madmans fist made contact, Steve leapt to the right as Weskers hand plunged into the fusebox.

Wesker let out a shrilling cry of pain as his body shimmered and shook. Bright, blue bolts of electricity danced around his body, slightly singing his clothes and exhausting puffs of white smoke. Finally, the fuse box burst in a shower of sparks and burnt metal, sending Wesker flying into the wall back first and sliding to the ground. He didn't move.

Steve would have taken a breather if the facility wasn't set to explode. He heard movement to his right and saw Chris, Jill and Barry getting up. Chris was the first to see Steve and wore a mixed look of relief and puzzlement.

"Steve...?" Chris muttered

Without a word, Steve approached Chris and helped him to his feet.

"I haven't got time to explain," Steve said. "We have to get out of here now or we're all going to die."

"Follow me," Dr. Murphy said quickly. "I know a shortcut out of the facility."

After forming up, the team fell in behind Dr. Murphy as the self-destruct mechanism lights continued to flash on and off, the alarms still blaring.


End file.
